The Black Materia
by Kender20
Summary: AU For two thousand years, the Planet Gaia had suffered under the rule of the four Jenova Lords. But from the darkness, a light of hope emerges in the form of two young friends: one, the victim of a terrible curse; the other, a child of a vanished race. Together, they embark on a quest to find the one thing that would end the Jenova Lords' reign once and for all.
1. Prologue

Note: I am happy to welcome you all to my newest FFVII fic, "The Black Materia"! As you might know, this is an AU fic, and I've had this on my mind for quite some time since the reawakening of my love for the FFVII Universe. And so without further ado, let's get on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Final Fantasy VII Compilation, Nor do I own The Dark Crystal, from which this storyline is loosely based. And you know what? I'M GLAD I DON'T!

 **The Black Materia**

 **Prologue**

 _Another world… another time… in the Era of Shadows…_

 _Two thousand years ago, this world was green and good. But one day, a great calamity appeared from the skies, bringing with her a dark crystal of immense power. In time, this calamity, Jenova, gave birth to four sons. They were all strong and handsome, but their beauty did nothing to hide their harsh and twisted hearts. They were also very powerful. As soon as they were old enough to do so, the fledgling Jenova Lords seized control of a nearby empire and claimed it as their own. Then, on their mother's behalf, they expanded their reach across the whole Planet. Thus began an age of misery that would last for two millenia…_

From within a chamber of stone and metal, a black crystal sphere floated in midair. The ceiling above displayed a decorative window with a clear view of the sky, gray with storm clouds. The floor below had a shaft which led deep into a pit of what appeared to be deep green lava. Not far away, a middle-aged man in a white lab coat—or rather, a man that appeared to be of middle age—was shackling the last of a group of five captives, all suspended from the ceiling. As the sun readied to break through its stormy curtain, four young men dressed in black uniforms strode gracefully into the chamber. Each one had silver hair of varying lengths, and they all had glowing green eyes with cat-like slits.

Everyone on the Planet knew of these four men. The Jenova Lords, the four sons of Empress Jenova, the great Calamity from the Sky. Many feared these brothers, and rightfully so; they were their mother's hands and eyes, and their cruelty knew no bounds.

The oldest, Sephiroth, was the natural leader. Of all the Jenova Lords, he was the most well-known and feared, as well as the most powerful and influential. His long hair, his black coat and buckles, and his deadly katana Masamune were unmistakable. It was he who led the attacks that allowed him and his brothers to dominate most of the world two thousand years before, and even in the present day his name was spoken of in terrified whispers and used to scare children into good behavior.

Next was Yazoo, calm, cool, and collected. The quiet gunslinger of the Jenova Lords, he was known for his speed and his stealth. Once a target has been chosen he rarely misses his mark.

Then there was Loz. Broad in physique compared to his brothers, he was the most emotionally attached to their mother. He often fought side by side with Yazoo, for their battle tactics complimented each other perfectly.

Last but not least was Kadaj, the youngest of the Jenova Lords. Cruel and sadistic, his power and prestige was second only to Sephiroth, and the two of them looked upon each other with great admiration. They were the two favorites of Jenova herself, and it was Kadaj that Sephiroth would turn to when he was in need of someone to lead their army in his stead. One would say that the youngest Lord was a leader in his own right.

That same Lord tossed his head, enjoying how his hair, silver as his brothers', seemed to float in the breeze. "It's that time of year again." he declared, "Once more we gather at the crystal chamber to renew our covenant with Mother."

"Oh yeah…" Loz sighed happily, putting his gloved hands behind his head, "Cheating death feels so good! That means I get to play with all my brothers that much longer!"

Yazoo only shook his head in amusement. They've been around for two thousand years now and it was clear that Loz still had the mindset of a little child.

Hojo, the man in the lab coat, happened to catch a glimpse of the Jenova Lords and gave a wicked grin. "The preparations are all set! And just in time, too, the sun will be overhead any minute."

"Thank you, Father." Sephiroth replied, removing his coat.

"Let's begin then." Yazoo stated and he and the other two Lords mimicked their brother's actions. Now shirtless, the four brothers allowed themselves to be strapped to the device that was the integral part of their annual ceremony: the Rite of Longevity, where they were each injected with the vital essence of a captive no older than twenty-five years old. Their favorite victims, as was the case this time around, were young men that had been converted into their own likeness as children: Extensions, as they were called by the people of this world. Carrying the essence of their masters within their very being, the Extensions served them with utter loyalty, calling them "Brothers." None of them lived past the age of twenty-five; those who managed to survive to that point were soon drained of their vital essence, which was then used as part of the annual Rite of Longevity. This year, four Extensions actually took part in this Rite directly. Yet not a single one of them tried to escape as the tubes were inserted into their bodies; all stayed still in the shackles that suspended them, as if they knew they had served their purpose.

Of course, if no sufficient number of Extensions were available during a given year, any victim would suffice. That proved to be the favorite part for the mad scientist, for he, too, took part in the annual Rite. How else was he able to live as long as he did without aging further? All the better to continue with his experiments and to assist his four sons, he reasoned. Once the Jenova Lords were in place, suspended face up toward the ceiling, Hojo removed his coat and shirt and strapped himself in. Soon the sun shone bright overhead amidst the stormy sky.

In an instant, a beam shot down from the celestial body, seeming to strike the black materia. The sphere vibrated, glowing with immense power. That power reflected on five mirrors, which shot beams of blue-green light into the eyes of the captives. The lone victim that squirmed in his bonds instantly grew still. Moments later, the energy of the materia thrummed upon the bodies of the five captives, and the tubes began to suck out their life force and vital fluids, a dark red liquid with a touch of bright green, into the Jenova Lords and their father. All the while, the bodies of the captives began to shrivel and dry up into withered husks, while the five recipients of their essence felt themselves grow stronger and more energetic, their vitality renewed for yet another year.

This time around, however, the Jenova Lords were restless. They were known to have many enemies, but few were able to match them in power and resist them. It was the leader of one such group, in fact, who kept their mother's power in check by sealing her in a crystal pillar, and prevented them from expanding their reach even further. But today, the wards that held their mother back were finally starting to fail. The restoration of Jenova's power, however, would come at a price—a price so heavy that it would render her unfit to rule.

Which left her with only one option: one of the Jenova Lords would have to inherit her throne and become the recipient of her power. The source of which was none other than the black materia.

The sun crept away, back into the curtain of stormy clouds. The Rite was over.

Note: And so begins what I hope would be an incredible tale of adventure! In the next chapter, we introduce our two heroes-and each one has an interesting quirk concerning them! Until Next Time!


	2. Minerva's Call

Note: Whew, it was hard work to get this written, but here we are at the first chapter of "The Black Materia"! I would like to thank my friend Irish-Brigid for her much needed assistance in the editing process, and for help in the editing of future chapters as well! So without further ado, we will now be introduced to the two heroes of this story, and there's a little twist concerning one hero in particular! Enjoy!

 **Chapter 1: Minerva's Call**

Nature sure had a way of calming the soul. Even from within the confines of this fortress, Cloud knew that much. There was something about rustling leaves, chirping crickets, and a cascading waterfall that put his mind at ease.

The large open-air garden was his sanctuary. He would go there whenever he felt tense or when he had something on his mind. As he took in the crisp afternoon air, soaking his feet in the clear pool, the slim young man with spiky blond hair thought back to what was once his home.

Cloud was only nine years old when he came to live among the famed Paladins of Cosmos, one of the few organizations able to challenge the might of the Jenova Lords and win. It was because of Minerva and her Paladins that he alone escaped the clutches of the very Lords that cursed him and many other boys before him. The Paladins were so kind to him, not like the people of his old village in Nibelheim. Still, he couldn't help but miss the outside world. For his safety, he was separated from kith and kin and forbidden to leave the Fortress of Cosmos. It had been eight years since then, Cloud was now sixteen. Though he counted many of the Paladins as friends and family, there was only one person who could truly help him forget his loneliness.

"YO! CLOUD!"

Speak of the devil.

Cloud opened his eyes, revealing a mismatched pair of colors, a soft blue on the left and a harsh green on the right. This green eye, he knew, was the mark of the Branded. Spinning around toward the source of that cheerful voice, he couldn't help but smile.

Another young man around his age bounded into the garden toward him. Black hair, in sharp contrast to Cloud's gold, swept back from his face as if in a strong breeze except for a single lock that hung over his right eye. An x-shaped scar cut across his left cheek.

"Oh! Hi, Zack!" Cloud pulled his feet out of the water.

"I figured you might be here," the boy, Zack, replied with a grin. "Thinking about the outside world again?"

"You know me all too well."

"Of course! We grew up together! Although I admit I've been living here much longer than you have, but that doesn't matter." His gloved hand reached behind and pulled out a longsword. "Anyway, you up for some sparring?"

"Are you kidding?" Cloud answered as he finished putting on his boots. "That's one of the things I look forward to!" Standing up, he brandished his own sword and pointed it toward his friend. "You'll win against me like you always do, but… I guess that doesn't matter."

"Oh, I don't know about the winning part this time around," Zack noted. "Besides, you're getting better every day!" The two swordsmen faced each other. "All right then, let's get started! Just remember not to step on the bugs, okay?"

"I'll keep that in mind!" Cloud replied, and with that they charged at each other. The whole garden echoed with the loud clang of the swords. Neither held back, swinging and blocking their blades with a youthful combination of grace and enthusiasm. Both Cloud and Zack enjoyed moments like these. It was the best way to pass the time, not to mention the fact that they kept up with their training.

Midway into the sparring match, Zack suddenly stopped and spun around. There was a slight pause between the two, but it didn't last long. "Damn! They got away! Again! I was so close!"

Cloud chuckled, playing along. "Yeah, those Cetra sure are an elusive bunch. Don't worry, we'll catch them soon enough!" The Cetra were a race of people known to speak directly with the Planet and have special powers drawn from nature, and the two boys would imagine groups of them summoned by the commotion of their swordplay, watching them in secret. If one of the pair stopped and turned around quickly enough to spot one, the Cetra would be obliged to stay with them forever.

Zack had started the game with Cloud taking part only recently. For Zack was himself a Cetra, the last in all of Gaia.

Cloud found it hard to believe when he learned of it two years ago. A Cetra like Zack could easily be mistaken for a human, for their ears showed only the barest points. Then again, he never expected that a single Cetra would survive the wanton massacre of the Jenova Lords, let alone become the first real friend he ever had. Cloud couldn't be any more grateful for that. Perhaps it was the fact that they were kindred spirits. In much the same way as Cloud, the Paladins had Zack hidden away in their Fortress and had forbidden him to leave in order to protect him from the Jenova Lords.

"Well then, let's keep going," Zack stated with a grin. "They love to watch the swordplay, so they're bound to show up again."

"R-right!" Cloud answered, and once more their swords clashed. The parries, thrusts and blocks continued on, until this time, it was Cloud who stopped and spun around.

"Did you see any of them?" Zack asked.

"No. I thought I did this time, but I guess they're gone." Cloud turned to face his friend with a small smile. "Maybe if I could speak to our ancestors like you can, it would be much easier."

Zack shrugged in sympathy for his friend. "Yeah, it's too bad, but that doesn't mean we should stop trying." Cloud nodded in agreement and so the mock battle continued.

Midway through "round three" of this little bout, a small noise suddenly echoed in the garden. Startled, both young men spun toward the source, a small squirrel-like animal with large cat-like ears and a bright yellow-orange coat. A wide grin spread across Zack's face.

"Meezu! Linj somu ni suu!" The animal, Meezu, squeaked in terrified reply to the greeting in the Cetra language, as if calling out for help. The raven-haired Cetra grew concerned. "Oei? Naku'iis dha sceddas?" Another scared little squeak came out in answer. Zack lifted his hand, beckoning the little mu. "Qimu Meezu!" he called out, clicking his tongue. "Qimu! Ey'iis irawu!" Meezu almost instantly rushed down the wall onto a nearby tree, then climbed down and ran toward her raven-haired friend, allowing the young man to scoop her up and let her crawl up his arm onto his shoulder. "Dau'iis ey, Meezu. Ey'iis irawu." Zack reassured, petting the scared little mu as she nuzzled against him.

Cloud had started learning Cetran upon discovering Zack's identity, but had yet to master the basics. Still, he was able to pick up enough snippets to have an idea of what was going on.

"What's wrong?" Cloud finally asked in concern, as he too had grown fond of the little mu over the recent years.

"I don't know," Zack explained. "She won't tell me what's got her so scared." The answer came with the boom of rolling thunder and a darkening sky. Meezu trembled in fear, leaning closer into her friend's neck.

"A storm... a storm is brewing," Cloud said. "But I've never seen the sky this dark before."

Zack trembled. "Yeah, I see what you mean. It reminds me of the day my folks were killed." A voice echoed in his mind, startling him at first. It sang deep and low. Soon other voices joined in, varied in pitch and range, but united in harmonious beauty. Zack closed his eyes and lifted his head to listen more closely.

"Zack?" Cloud asked.

"Our ancestors…" Zack confirmed. "They're… they're all _singing_ … That's strange… I've never heard this song before. And yet it's calling out to me… summoning me…" he opened his sky-blue eyes. "I don't know what's going on, Cloud, but something's going to happen. Something _big_."

"You're correct on that one, Zack." A new voice, soft and deep, called out, snapping the Cetra out of his trance. "I feel it in the wind, myself." The two friends spun around to find another man in the garden, one in his mid-twenties. He had a bigger build than the teenagers, his black hair short and straight, parting at his forehead. His chin and jawline was traced with a very thin beard barely noticeable from a distance. The uniform he wore was similar to that worn by Cloud and Zack, made up of a black sleeveless sweater, baggy pants, and boots that zipped up the front, along with shoulder armor and a thick belt. His was a bit neater in appearance compared to the boys' haphazard style, however. But the most notable feature of this man was his blue eyes full of kindness and great wisdom.

Zack's grin grew wide. Of all the Paladins of Cosmos, this man was the one with whom he formed a deep bond, the one who was now training him and Cloud in the art of the sword. If not for him, the raven haired Cetra wouldn't even be alive today. "Angeal!"

"Hello Angeal," Cloud greeted politely. "Did we disturb you in any way?"

"Not at all," Angeal Hewley replied. "That's not why I'm here. Minerva has summoned you both."

"Lady Minerva?!" Cloud gasped.

"Mom?!" Zack said, equally astonished, and a little more than scared. Though not his birth mother, the leader of the Paladins of Cosmos had adopted him and he loved her just as much. Her recent illness affected him greatly. "Is she all right?" he finally asked.

"She has something very important to discuss with you," Angeal explained, his eyes hinting sadness. "If you want to know what it is, then you both need to hurry over to her bedchamber."

"Of course!" Cloud exclaimed. "Right away!"

Zack only nodded and after setting Meezu down in a safe patch of grass, the two young men hurried out into the main Fortress.

xX0Xx

The storm grew more intense as they rushed down the hall toward the Lady's bedchamber. Other Paladins looked on as they passed. There was a hint of sadness in their eyes. "I don't get it!" Cloud stated. "Lady Minerva would _never_ call for us in the middle of the afternoon!"

"I know!" Zack replied in worry. "She was usually busy working with the other Paladins at this time before she got sick. Why _now_ of all times?! She's not gonna…? No! She can't be!" They picked up the pace, until finally they were right outside the door to Minerva's bedroom. Zack swung it open and stepped in first, with Cloud following close behind. "Mom, we're here! Mom?!"

"Lady Minerva!" Cloud called. The gaze of both friends fell on the weak feminine figure lying in her bed. Her skin had grown to an unhealthy pale shade, and her breathing was shallow.

The eyes of the raven-haired Cetra misted with tears. His adoptive mother was always so strong and regal, a force of honor and righteousness that brought the forces of evil to their knees. It tore at his heart to see her in this sickly state. And now, to his horror, it had gotten much worse. He rushed to her side, clutching her hand. "Mom! Mom, hang in there!"

The weakened Minerva looked up and smiled. "Zack… Cloud… I am so glad you have come. For many years, you have come to know me. And now… you will come to know the world… as it will be, without me."

"You're leaving us?" Cloud asked, feeling a sharp pang in his own heart.

"NO!" Zack shouted, squeezing her hand a bit tighter, "You can't die now!"

"Zack…" Minerva reassured. "You are a Cetra… You will still see me… and hear my voice from within the Lifestream. And we will still talk to each other… just as you have talked with so many others who have passed on."

"I know… _I know_!" A sob escaped his lips. "But it's not the same as you being _here with me_! It's never the same…!"

"Calm yourself, young Cetra. I have much to say to you… and your friend as well." She gazed deep into their eyes as the boys willed themselves to grow calm. "You know of the Jenova Lords… do you not?"

Cloud sighed. "Of course I know of them—namely Sephiroth. He's the one who branded me in my moment of despair."

"Not only that," Zack added sadly. "He and his brothers killed my real mother, along with my father and the rest of my kin."

"Yes… They are the reason we hid you away from the world," Minerva said, "Once they learn of your existence, they will stop at nothing to find you. If they know… of the role that you are soon to play in Gaia's design… no doubt, they will seek your destruction."

"What role?" Cloud asked. "I don't understand."

There was a pause as Minerva slowly waved a hand in the air. A mist appeared in its wake. "Starting tomorrow, the two of you are free to leave the Fortress of Cosmos." The two friends gasped in astonishment before she continued. "That will be the best time to start your journey."

"Journey?" Zack asked. "What do you mean?" As if to answer his question, figures began to materialize from within the mist: four fragments of white crystal, each taking a shape similar to a sliced orange.

"You and Cloud are to seek out four shards of this crystal sphere." Minerva explained.

"Four shards… of a sphere?"

"These shards hold the key to saving the Planet. But you must hurry! The shards must be gathered… before the two moons meet the sun."

"Before the two moons meet the sun…" Cloud repeated. "What's going to happen? Why us? And where can we find the shards?"

Minerva reached toward a small box on the table by her bed. The box opened up and out came a glowing crystal shard similar to the one she had shown in the mist. It floated into her hand, and she placed it into Cloud's palm.

"I will provide you with the first one." She said, gently pressing his fingers to wrap them around the precious stone. "The other three have been scattered throughout the world. One of them is with Bugenhagen. I know not the location of the other two; you must find them for yourselves." Again she paused to wince in pain, prompting Zack to clutch her hand tighter. "It's up to you now. The fate of this world lies in your capable hands."

"But Mom…" Zack pleaded, his eyes once again misting. "Th-there's still so much about myself that I don't know, and our ancestors aren't telling me! I still need you!"

"I cannot help you with that, Zack," Minerva replied, her voice fading to a whisper. "Perhaps you will find the answers you seek as you travel in the outside world." She smiled at her adopted son and at the blond. "Remember me. This is our last meeting in this life… but I will still watch over you." She then proceeded to lay her head down on the pillow and close her eyes for the last time.

Zack burst into tears, knowing exactly what was going to happen next. "Mom… MOM! DON'T LEAVE ME!" he sobbed, "Please… don't leave me!"

Cloud just stared at the sad scene in silence. Even he could see that the one woman who did so much for him was fading fast.

xX0Xx

The storm continued to rage at Castle Jenova. Yazoo walked down the stairs toward the chamber where the Empress was confined in her crystal prison. He paused by the hall where Loz played dodgeball with three of the few Extensions infused with his essence. They used the dimly lit body of a freshly-killed bomb monster as the ball.

"Loz! Stop fooling around and get going!"

Loz pouted as he caught the "ball" tossed at him. "Aw c'mon! Can't I play with my brothers a little longer?"

Yazoo quickened his pace impatiently. "Mother is waiting for us."

" _Mother?!_ " Loz gasped, roughly tossing the ball toward one of his Extensions and rushing after his brother. "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO IN THE FIRST PLACE?!"

The Extensions watched the two Lords depart as one rubbed his nose, holding the bomb monster that had smacked him in the face. "I can't believe we forgot about Mother!"

"C'mon!" Another Extension urged. "Let's hurry!" Immediately, they followed their masters as fast as they could.

At Jenova's chamber, a crowd of Extensions had gathered, murmuring amongst themselves. They came in many shapes and sizes; aside from the silver color of their hair and the green eyes, their outward appearance was all that remained of their former identities.

Kadaj was already waiting by the time Yazoo and Loz arrived. "What took you so long?" he asked smugly.

Loz only let out a growl in reply. Soon after, the eldest Lord made his entrance. Sephiroth seemed to float down the stairs. He smirked at the sight of his three younger brothers.

"Good. Everyone is here," he said. "Let's not keep Mother waiting."

The other Lords nodded and approached the pillar of green crystal. The woman inside appeared deathly pale, her long, stark white hair spread out wildly as if floating in water. Gray cloth wrapped around her thin body, its strips giving the appearance of a mummy's bandages. The quick rise and fall of her struggling breath was a clear indication that she was still alive—and certainly not human. At first glance, the crystal pillar which imprisoned the Empress appeared flawless. But upon closer inspection…

"Finally!" Loz's eyes lit up with joy. "After two thousand years, the crystal's cracking!"

"Not fast enough." Kadaj reminded with a frown. "That means the bitch isn't dead yet."

Jenova's blank eyes glowed green as she gazed at the Jenova Lords. " _ **My sons…**_ " Her smooth voice echoed loudly in the chamber with a demonic undertone. " _ **Kneel before me. Bow to me for one last time.**_ " The Jenova Lords, with Sephiroth in front, all bent down on one knee, bowing their heads in reverence.

"Mother…" Sephiroth sighed.

" _ **The hour is near.**_ " Jenova continued. " _ **Soon… she who sealed away my power will be no more. Even so, she has ensured that she will get the last laugh.**_ " Suddenly, the cracks on the crystal pillar grew larger, and the Empress let out a scream. The Lords rose and stepped backward, startled. Soon Loz was grinned.

"It's happening!" The cracks continued to spread faster and faster, beams of green light burst through each opening. Finally, with a loud bang, the crystal pillar shattered into thousands of pieces. The Jenova Lords knew exactly what that meant: their mother's captor was dead. The Empress was free at last!

But there was little time to celebrate. Jenova floated in midair before she suddenly began to sink and crumple to the ground.

"Mother!" Sephiroth gasped, rushing to grab hold of her and cradle her in his arms.

"Mother, what's wrong?" Kadaj asked.

Their mother trembled, unsteady gasps leaving her lips. She barely had the strength to lift her head.

" _ **The Goddess has made my body weak with the passing of the centuries…**_ " Jenova strained to reply. " _ **Though my power is fully restored, I can no longer withstand its might. It is the power of the black materia that kept me from sharing the same fate as she, yet I am no longer fit to rule as Empress… But fear not; I have prepared for this very moment.**_ " Lifting a trembling hand, she pointed at her sons. " _ **One of you shall be the recipient of my throne… and my power. Tomorrow… Tomorrow will be the day. Prepare yourselves…**_ "

The Jenova Lords nodded. They knew exactly the challenge that lay in store for them, and they looked forward to it. The throne could not be won so easily, after all.

xX0Xx

For a long time, both young men stared in sad silence. Minerva's body had grown still and unmoving. Though she had the appearance of deep peaceful slumber, no more breath remained in her body, nor a heartbeat. Cloud's heart ached at the sight. Minerva had been so kind to him from the moment she and the Paladins took him in. And now she was gone. Gone to the Lifestream to join their ancestors. He glanced at his friend in sympathy. Tears flowed from Zack's eyes like a river, his grief overwhelming. This was the kind woman who raised him after his village was destroyed. Why did she have to die?

" _ **I will watch over you, always.**_ " Her voice resonated in the Cetra's mind as her body began to fade in a mist of soft green light, similar to fireflies. " _ **And I will be there whenever you need me.**_ " He felt her passage into the Lifestream right then, and he closed his eyes, allowing more tears to trickle down.

"You hear her, don't you?" Cloud asked.

"…Yes. She's one of our ancestors now."

Cloud looked down at the hand holding the crystal fragment, as did the Cetra. "Lady Minerva…" the blond sighed. "I barely understand the reason for all this, and I know Zack feels the same way, but we'll go on this journey. Wherever you send us, we will go."

xX0Xx

The next day, the men and women of the Paladins of Cosmos donned their ceremonial plate armor and gathered together at the sacred pool, singing a slow requiem for their leader's funeral. The light shining down from the ceiling, along with the heavenly voices, gave the whole place an ethereal quality. They were holding up their swords, the tips pointing toward the sky in reverence. A tall Paladin, his pale, wavy hair reaching his shoulders, spoke out amongst the singing voices. "Rest now, Lady of Cosmos. You are a part of us as we are part of each other." At the center of the pool floated small bowls of fresh fruits and flowers, which began to disappear and transform into pyreflies. "Receive our offerings, for you are now part of Gaia."

A moment of silence followed before the Paladins turned toward two young men in particular. "Now send forth the chosen ones: Zack Fair and Cloud Strife." The two friends rose up from kneeling, still in their haphazard everyday uniforms. "Watch over them in their quest."

Zack and Cloud bowed their heads in respect. Angeal stepped over toward them. "Zack, Cloud, listen to me very carefully. Now that Minerva is gone, the Fortress of Cosmos is no longer safe. It will only be a matter of time before the Jenova Lords find you, and when they do they will stop at nothing to hunt you down. Therefore, I will accompany you both on the first leg of your journey."

The boys gazed at their mentor in astonishment. "You really mean that?" Cloud gasped.

"Yes. But after you get the second of the four shards, you two are on your own."

"Thanks, Angeal." Zack replied before facing the rest of the Paladins. "Don't worry everyone. We'll find the shards."

A few hours later, the Branded and the Cetra stood at the entrance of the Fortress, gazing at a mountain range overlooking vast green beyond. "Can you believe it?" Cloud asked. "All those years I've wanted to go see the world beyond these walls."

"Hey, so did I." Zack pointed out with a grin, "I was only three years old when I came here, so my memories of the outside world are pretty vague compared to yours. Of course, the TV was the only other window to the world and we didn't watch much of that."

The blond chuckled. "I get your point." But soon he grew somber again. "But no matter how much we begged and pleaded, we weren't allowed to leave the confines of the Fortress. Now we're practically _forced_ out… and I want to stay a little longer."

"Cloud, we're _not_ being forced out," Zack corrected, "Before she died, Minerva said that we're free to leave, remember? Sure, there's a part of me that wants to stay a little while longer, too, but this is the one thing I've been dreaming of doing for nearly my whole life! And best of all, I have you by my side and we actually get a chance to be heroes just like the Paladins before us!"

Cloud smirked at the thought. "It's just like you to rush into things head on. Don't get me wrong, I want to be a hero, too. I'm just not sure I have what it takes."

"Aw, don't be like that! Of course you have what it takes! Mom gave the first of the four shards to you because she believes in you!"

"You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"No, I mean it! There's something she sees in you and me that's really special, aside from me being a Cetra and you… well, you get the idea. And that's why she trusts us enough to have us go out and save the world! I don't know how we're supposed to do it, and our ancestors aren't giving me straight answers, but what matters most is that we're doing this together!"

Cloud finally gave his friend a genuine smile. "You're right Zack. Thank you."

Right at that moment, Angeal stepped toward the two in his usual attire, along with a huge sword stuck to the magnet on his back.

"Well, boys, are you ready to go?"

"Ready as we'll ever be!" Zack said. Soon he and Cloud felt the grass of the outside world beneath their booted feet. "So how does it feel Cloud? It's your first step in the outside world in eight years!"

"It feels… good." Cloud replied timidly.

"You know how much I envy you on this? I had to wait _sixteen years_ for this moment!"

"Well, my knowledge of the outside world is…" the blond cleared his throat, "…eight years out of date. Anyway, where should we go first?"

"Well, Minerva did say that one of the remaining three shards was in the possession of someone or something called… Bugenhagen. So let's start our search over there."

"Good call, Zack." Angeal noted suddenly. "I happen to know where he lives."

"You do?!" Zack laughed. "Well in that case, lead the way!"

"Gladly," Angeal replied with a smile before he started walking. "Stay close to me, you two. I don't want either of you to get lost."

"Sure thing, Angeal!" Zack called out, and soon he and his friend rushed over to follow their mentor toward their first destination.

Note: And so for our heroes the quest for the remaining three shards begin! Didn't expect Zack to be a Cetra in this story, did you? Anyway, in the next chapter, the Jenova Lords duke it out in a contest for the throne, meanwhile our heroes reach the cliff of this story's equivalent of Aughra, where there's a surprise for Cloud in store! By the way, for those of you who don't understand the language created in this story, here's the translation of the phrases:

Linj somu ni suu!- Long time no see!

Oei?- Huh?

Naku'iis dha sceddas?- What's the matter?

qimu- come here.

Ey'iis irawu.- It's okay.

Dau'iis ey-That's it.

Hope that helps you out some! Until Next Time!


	3. On Bugenhagen's Cliff

Note: Hi there everyone! After much hard work, and extensive polishing, I've finally finished with a new chapter of "The Black Materia"! In this chapter, The Jenova Lords fight for the throne. What's going to happen when they learn the existence of Cloud and Zack. At the same moment, our two heroes arrive at Bugenhagen's Cliff. But Bugenhagen's not the only person they meet there. What words of wisdom does this story's version of Aughra share? What going to happen once they obtain the second of the four shards? Best to read and find out! Enjoy!

Warning: One word from Cid's dirty mouth is dirtier than the rest.

 **Chapter 2: On Bugenhagen's Cliff**

The four Jenova Lords paced around the large throne room in a star-shaped pattern, never taking their eyes off each other. The meaning behind the path had been lost to many witnesses, and if the Lords knew of the meaning, they weren't telling.

While the Jenova Lords sized each other up, their Extensions argued as to who would become the Emperor. Tension and excitement mounted as they anticipated a fight.

Finally, as if on its own accord, a steel rod floated from the high throne to the center of the room. The top had been shaped into a dragon's talons clutching an orb.

Loz grinned. The appearance of the rod signified that the throne was now ready to be claimed. He stepped toward the rod, an action that did not go unnoticed.

"Wait! Stop!" Kadaj yelled. "You can't do this!"

"Back off, Spithead!" Loz snapped, smirking. "This one's mine!" He reached out to grab the rod.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING 'SPITHEAD?!'" Kadaj bellowed, lunging at the rod and snatching it right out of his brother's grasp.

Yazoo pulled it out of Kadaj's hands, prompting Sephiroth to grab it. Yazoo's hold was strong, and soon the other two of his younger brothers grabbed the rod again.

None of the Jenova Lords let go. After much tugging, Sephiroth pulled his brothers toward him. No one moved.

"There is a much better way to settle this." He snapped the rod out of their hands and tossed it back in the air. Soon the rest of the Lords figured out what their brother meant.

Kadaj turned toward Hojo, who had been watching from the corner. "Father, what do you suggest we do for this competition?"

The scientist rubbed his chin before an evil smirk crossed his lips. "Hmmm… How about a… Trial by Stone?" The four Jenova Lords gazed at each other with approving smirks.

The youngest Lord raised a hand to the crowd of Extensions. "The Stone Trial it is, then!"

The Extensions cheered, and two younger ones stepped to the side where a cadre of slaves stood trembling.

"Bring out the Pillar!" the Extension overseers ordered, striking one of the hesitating whelps on the back with a whip. "MOVE IT!"

Amid the roar of the crowd, the slaves took hold of four wires, each attached to a pulley set in a compass direction. Hojo flipped a switch, opening a portal in the center of the floor. Then the slaves started pulling, using what little strength they had. Slowly, a pillar of hard stone surrounded by four large katana rose up in a glorious display.

Once the stone pillar locked into place, the Jenova Lords approached. One by one, they each took a sword, raising it high.

"May the best man win," Sephiroth declared, before he and his brothers clashed their swords in salute.

"The rules are simple." Hojo explained over the noise of the crowd, "Each of you will have one swing at this pillar in the center. The one who leaves the deepest cut is the winner."

The brothers smirked at each other, with Loz smirking the widest.

"Oh, you're going down!" he mocked. "You're all going down! I'm gonna kick your butt all the way to the Little Sister!"

"We'll see about that," Kadaj said.

Yazoo stepped toward the stone pillar. "I will go first." He gripped his katana tightly. Then, with a powerful yell, he swung. The blade clanged loudly against the stone, yet the resulting cut wasn't very deep.

"That's pathetic!" Loz said.

Yazoo shrugged it off. "Fine by me, I was never good with swords, anyway."

The Extensions cheered loudly as the youngest Lord stepped up. "You can do it Kadaj!" He gazed intently at the stone, looking for a good spot. Once he found one, he raised his sword.

The crowd hushed in anticipation. After a few seconds, Kadaj made his move. Blade struck stone, cutting deeper than Yazoo's.

The Extensions voiced their approval as, again, the stealthy Lord shrugged nonchalantly. "Looks like I'm out."

"Okay, MY TURN!" Loz declared in a cocky manner. "Oh yeah, let me show you how it's done!"

He started spinning his sword with one hand, making his own sound effects. Then he caught the grip of the blade again, readying himself like he was about to swing a bat. With a battle cry that seemed to echo throughout the whole castle, he unleashed a mighty swing.

This time, it was not easy to tell how deep the cut was compared to Kadaj's. Hojo stepped over toward the pillar for a closer inspection.

"Impressive…" Hojo said. "I admit, though, I never thought _you_ would take the lead Loz. That cut is deeper by one inch!"

"YEAH!" Loz raised his sword triumphantly. "THE CROWN IS MINE!"

Hojo chuckled. "Don't celebrate just yet. We still have one more contender."

Of course, Loz wasn't paying any attention to his father's words. He kept dancing about, declaring victory with a singsong insult toward his brothers. "I get to rule the wo-orld! I get to rule the wo-orld! Ha-ha-ha, Ha-haa-ha!"

Sephiroth stood undaunted. A wicked smirk played across his lips as he strode toward the stone pillar. Seemingly without effort, Sephiroth swung his katana. The movement of the blade was too fast to track with the naked eye.

Initially, it seemed that the stone escaped without a scratch. Then a loud 'BOOM' filled the room, and a large chunk of rock fell to the ground with a resounding crash.

Stunned and dismayed, Loz dropped his katana sword.

Sephiroth turned to Loz with a smirk. "You were saying, Little Brother?"

Hojo took center stage and raised his hand. "Sephiroth is the winner!"

To say that the crowd went wild was an understatement—the triumphant joy in the voices were deafening! Sephiroth's Extensions outnumber the Extensions of the all other three Lords combined, with Kadaj being a close second, and thus, the oldest and most powerful Lord was the clear favorite. And he did not disappoint. Kadaj's Extensions joined with Sephiroth's in cheering for their new Emperor, while the Yazoo's fell silent and Loz's grumbled in complaint.

Kadaj stepped toward his victorious elder brother. "I expected nothing less, Sephiroth. If I had to lose, I'd rather it be to you."

"Bring forth Mother's Crown!" Yazoo ordered one of the younger Extensions. A boy Extension stepped forward, bearing the named artifact, which seemed to be nothing more than a single oval crystal of a dark black hue.

Kadaj took the crystal, holding it up for all to see. "This holds but a portion of the black materia's power. He or she who wears this jewel shall be permanently tied to the materia itself. It will forever be the source of their strength!"

Sephiroth bent down on one knee and the crystal began to glow as his youngest brother fastened it to his forehead. Power surged through him as he became fully attuned to the black materia. The coronation done, the new Emperor strode over to the throne and picked up the rod.

"Behold!" Kadaj announced to the crowd. "Gaia's new Emperor!"

The Extensions cheered as Sephiroth lifted his rod in triumph.

"Hail, Emperor Sephiroth!"

"Hail to the new Emperor!"

Loz trembled for a while, before he finally slumped to the ground, bawling like a baby. "No fair!" he wailed. "NO FAIR! _I_ wanna rule the world!"

"Oh please," Yazoo said. "Mother doesn't want her subjects to be ruled by a crybaby."

"I'M NOT CRYING!" Loz blurted out before continuing his pathetic sobs.

" _ **My sons…**_ " a voice suddenly boomed. Immediately the throne room fell silent.

"Mother…" Sephiroth said. He turned toward the Extensions. "Mother is calling! We must go to her, to the chamber of the black materia!" The Jenova Lords hurried there, and once more the Extensions took to talking amongst themselves.

"Mother? What does she want?"

"Why would she call us now? We've barely gotten the party started."

"There better be a good reason for this."

As swift as the wind, the Jenova Lords arrived in the chamber. The pale form of Jenova floated in front of the sphere, waiting patiently for her sons.

Sephiroth bent down on one knee and gave a reverent bow. "We are here Mother."

" _ **Good,**_ " Jenova said. " _ **One of our Ahrimen has just caught sight of something that is bound to… pique your interest.**_ "

Soon, an image materialized upon the black materia depicting a red cliff overlooking a vast forest. A man climbed into view.

"Ugh, it's him," an Extension of Yazoo pointed out in disgust. "That Paladin of Cosmos, Angeal Hewley." The other Extensions let out resounding 'boos' and insults at the Paladin in question.

"Angeal?" Sephiroth asked. "What does he have to do with anything? Now that he is bereft of his leader, he should no longer be a threat."

" _ **He is no threat,**_ " Jenova explained. " _ **But it is not the man himself who should be worthy of your attention. It is the two wards that he brings with him.**_ " Even as she spoke, two teenage boys appeared close behind Angeal.

Sephiroth's eyes widened upon seeing at the blond.

"Well, well, well… what do we have here?" Kadaj said with a smirk of interest. "A wayward brother? Now this is unheard of."

"That boy…" Sephiroth replied suddenly. "There's something familiar about him. Wait! Let me have a closer look at him." The image on the black materia zoomed in on the blond in question. The Emperor's smirk grew. "Ah, now I remember where I've seen him before! Cloud Strife, isn't it? Last I saw him, he was only nine years old. But I thought for certain that he was dead."

"Hmph. Apparently he's not." Yazoo said. "And if _he's_ with Angeal…"

It didn't take long for Sephiroth to figure it out. "So, it seems the people of Nibelheim have actually managed to trick me!" Sephiroth said. "No matter… he won't escape my grasp for long."

"True, but bringing him home isn't going to be as easy as it was with all the other boys we claimed." Kadaj noted. "He's just about grown up, and judging by the sword he's carrying, I can only guess that he knows how to fight."

"What about that other boy?" an Extension of the Emperor blurted out, pointing to the raven-haired boy traveling with their wayward 'brother'. "He seems to be a pretty tough fighter, too."

"That he is, Little Brother," Sephiroth replied. "But he's not worth our notice."

Hojo adjusted his glasses and gasped, eyes widening at the sight of the boy in question. "I daresay _I beg to differ!_ " The other Jenova Lords looked at their father in confusion. "Do you know what that boy is?! He's certainly not a human!"

"What is he then?" Yazoo asked.

Loz, who had been sulking behind his three brothers in silence, stared at the boy in question and let out a loud gasp. "No way! A Cetra, _alive?!_ "

The other Lords, and the Extensions as well, turned to stare at the childlike Lord in disbelief.

"A Cetra?!" Sephiroth gasped before he turned back toward the image in the black materia.

Soon the Extensions murmured amongst each other about this unexpected revelation.

"A _Cetra?!_ "

"I thought we killed them all!"

"There's no mistaking the ears, though."

"Is this true, Mother?" Kadaj asked. "Is that boy really a live Cetra?"

" _ **He is.**_ "

With that confirmation, the initial surprise faded and made way for anticipation.

"Well," Sephiroth said with a smirk as he stood up. "This changes everything! In fact… this is perfect! What better way to celebrate my coronation, and our coming godhood, than to shed Cetra blood one last time!"

Kadaj stepped forward to the crowd. "Brothers! Bring forth the Shadow Creepers!"

Groups of enthusiastic Extensions fourteen years and older rushed to the corners of the castle to call their monstrous mounts. "Shadow Creepers! It's time to go hunting!"

Spots of shadow moved and expanded. In an instant, horrifying creatures leaped out of the shadows like they were emerging from black water, their canine bodies topped with rat skulls for heads.

The Extensions then leapt onto the backs of the Shadow Creepers, arming themselves with swords, lances, axes, guns and other weapons before returning to the chamber to meet with their masters.

"Little Brothers," Sephiroth called out. "You see our prey before us. Capture our wayward brother, and bring him to Castle Jenova alive!" He raised Masmune in confident authority. "And as for the Cetra, BRING HIM DEATH!"

The warriors cheered, raising their weapons in salute to the Emperor, before making a hasty departure in their eagerness to retrieve their lost 'brother' and quench their thirst for Cetra blood.

"C'mon, let's go!"

"I got dibs on his liver!"

"Dibs on his beating heart!"

"Just don't hurt our brother too much."

Loz stared down at the corridor where the Extensions passed by, when Yazoo approached him. "Hey, crybaby. You want to prove yourself to Mother?"

The childlike Lord looked up, perplexed. "Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Come with me. We'll take a pair of motorbikes and follow our prey. Size them up, see how strong they really are. You know what I mean?"

"S-sure! Let's do this!" Loz replied, feeling a lot better.

With that, the two Lords gladly made their own departure.

xX0Xx

The Ahriman stared unblinkingly at the trio with its single eye, relaying what it saw to its masters back at the castle. The trio in question, unaware of the spy, continued to scale the slope leading to their destination.

"We're almost there, boys," Angeal said. "Don't slack off now."

"Look Cloud!" Zack said. "You can see the forest from here! This looks way better than it does on TV, doesn't it?"

"Yeah." Cloud gazed in wonder at said forest.

"Maybe we should go there next. I mean, when we're done with getting the next shard."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt."

The two friends hurried over to their mentor's side, and soon a building came into view. "So Angeal…" Cloud asked. "How long have you known this 'Bugenhagen?'"

Angeal glanced at his blond student, a smile of nostalgia on his face. "I was still under the tutelage of my own mentor when I first met him." Zack stepped closer to listen as their mentor told his story. "One day, I got separated from the rest of the Paladins during a training mission. The sky was clear that day, and I had no map of any kind to help with navigation, so I decided to follow the Big Sister for a day to whatever shelter I could find."

"The Big Sister?" Zack asked. "That's one of the two moons, the Big Sister and the Little Sister, right?"

"Exactly," Angeal replied. "And as it so happened, it led me to this place."

"Wow, those were some directions."

"And I've got it memorized, as you can see. Anyway, Bugenhagen was kind enough to let me stay at his observatory until the Paladins picked me up. Needless to say, we have been friends ever since."

The two young men nodded in understanding, and there was a slight pause before Cloud spoke again. "Can you tell me what Bugenhagen is like? What should we expect?"

"Bugenhagen is kind of a scholarly old man. He's very wise in the ways of the world, so it would do you good to listen to what he has to say."

Zack suddenly started looking around, tensing up. "Do you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?" Cloud asked. Angeal began to look around as well. "Angeal?"

The Paladin's gripped his large sword. "Something tells me we're not alone in this place."

Sure enough, they heard the echo of footsteps in the air around them. The two friends drew out their swords, scanning their surroundings to find the source of the noise.

They didn't have to wait long to find it. Before anyone could react, a sleek animal in red fur leaped up from behind them. Luckily, they were able to move out of the way before it made its landing.

Four more figures sprang forward, and it wasn't long before the trio found themselves surrounded.

Angeal drew his large sword, but dared not attack as he sized up what seemed to be the cliff's new defenders. One was a large black man with a cannon gun where his arm used to be. A second man had very short blond hair and goggles, and grasped a long spear.

The third figure was a young woman, barely fifteen years old with long brown hair and red-brown eyes, dressed in a white tank top and black shorts. She stood posed for hand-to-hand combat, and Zack stared warily at her gauntlets and steel-toed boots.

Finally there was a smaller girl, much younger than the rest of them, who held up a huge shuriken.

For a few moments, neither side made a single movement. Then the man in the goggles lowered his spear, eyes so wide they could have fallen from their sockets at any time.

Immediately afterwards the unexpected happened: he clonked the man with the gun arm right on the head. "You dumbass!" he roared. "That's Angeal Hewley standin' before us!"

"Angeal?" the man with the gun arm asked. He stared for a moment, and soon he too held an expression of surprise. "THE Angeal Hewley, Paladin of Cosmos?!"

The girls, too, let their guards down upon hearing the Paladin's name.

"Yeah, who'd you think it was?"

The man with the gun arm grumbled under his breath, apparently embarrassed about what turned out to be a blunder on his part. "H-how should _I_ know if it wuz him and not one o' dem Extensions?!"

"Well, Barret, it _is_ like you to leap before you look," the girl with the shuriken pointed out.

"Oh, and you don't?!" Barret barked.

The young woman with gauntlets put herself between the pair before the squabbling could even get a chance to start. "Barret, Yuffie, cut it out!"

The man with the goggles grinned as he put away his spear. "Sorry about all that. Bugenhagen over there hired me and those other three to protect this cliff. Damn monsters have become more active recently, you know."

Seeing as he and his wards were in the presence of friendly faces, Angeal lowered his sword. The two friends did the same. "I see. Well, at least you're prepared for when a monster does come along."

"Aren't we ever! Just need to tighten the loose screw on Barret over there, that's all. Oh, by the way, it's an honor to finally meet you in the flesh! The name's Cid Highwind."

Angeal took hold of Cid's outstretched hand to shake it. "Pleasure to meet you, too, Cid."

Cloud stared at the spectacle before his eyes met with one person in particular. Said eyes widened in surprise, but what came out of his mouth surprised everyone else. "Tifa?"

The young woman, Tifa Lockheart, turned toward his voice and gasped. "Cloud? Cloud Strife, is that really you?"

Cloud stepped forward, unable to believe he wasn't dreaming. "You… you survived that fall from the bridge after all?" He reached out, carefully clasping her hand into his. A small smile crept on his lips. It was no dream, no sick hallucination. "Oh, thank Gaia! I…"

Tifa's own eyes misted up. Apparently, she was thinking the exact same thing he was. "It _is_ you! Oh, Cloud!"

"Wait, ya know 'im?" Barret interrupted.

"Know him?" Tifa said. "Cloud and I have been friends since we were little!"

"Oh, so _that's_ the girl you've told me about!" Zack muttered with a sly grin of his own. The blond, of course, blushed at the comment as his friend from early childhood faced him again.

"Where have you been these past eight years? Everyone back in Nibelheim thought you were dead!"

It was Angeal who spoke. "Well, it was part of the plan..."

"Plan?!" Tifa yelled. "What plan?!"

"The Paladins of Cosmos hid me away from the rest of the world," Cloud explained, pointing toward his right eye. "To protect me… from the one who gave me this."

Tifa gazed at the green eye and grew worried with understanding. "Cloud… you were Branded? By the Jenova Lords?"

The Branded nodded in silent confirmation. Barret and Cid stared with their jaws gaped wide open.

"Branded?" the smaller girl, Yuffie, echoed. "Hey, how old are you now?"

"Sixteen." Cloud answered.

"WHAAAAAAA?! But you can't be Branded! Any Branded your age would already have disappeared into that creepy Castle Jenova by now!"

"And he would have met with the same fate eight years ago," Angeal explained, "if not for his brave mother."

Cloud lowered his misting eyes and frowned.

"Well damn!" Cid gasped in awe. "You must be one lucky bastard, kid! I mean, _you_ bein' able to escape the likes of Sephiroth and his brothers? That's practically unheard of!"

At that very moment, Zack felt puffs of air in his direction. Looking down, he noticed that it was a red animal sniffing at him, the same red animal from before. It appeared to be a mix of a tiger and a wolf, its mane decorated with beads and feathers. "Jarru ke wie, biik."

The animal stepped back, staring at him in… was that astonishment? "You!" it spoke, taking the two friends by surprise. "Are you… an Ancient?!"

"You can talk?" Cloud asked. "And what do you mean by Ancient?"

"Well, of course I can talk. What were you expecting?" the animal answered. "Anyway, 'Ancient' is a name we give to the Cetra." It then turned back toward the boy in question. "You _are_ a Cetra, right?"

Zack blinked a moment before he recovered from his daze. "Yeah, I'm a Cetra! My name is Zack Fair."

The four hired guardians, along with the animal, stared at the Cetra in question, further amazed by this unexpected discovery. "Say what? A _Cetra?!_ " Barret shouted. "There ain't no way! Dem Cetra are all dead!"

"He's got a point there," Cid said. "Goddamn Jenova Lords killed them all sixteen years ago!" He leaned forward. "But y'know… looking at you now, those pointy ears of yours are pretty hard to spot from a distance."

"That is true," the animal said, giving Zack another whiff. "But his scent is unmistakable." The two boys watched the flaring nostrils in fascination. "There is no doubt about it. This boy is indeed a live Cetra!"

"A live Cetra, you say? Ho, ho, hooooo!" an old voice called out.

The whole group turned toward the source of that voice and found a little old man rolling down the path upon a green crystal ball.

"Oh, hello Grandfather," the animal greeted the old man as he passed.

Angeal smiled. "Long time no see, Bugenhagen."

"Ah, Angeal!" the old man, Bugenhagen, greeted his friend. "I see you've brought a couple of fine boys with you this time around." He rolled over to get a closer look at Zack. "You must be the last living Cetra Nanaki has been talking about."

"Nanaki?" Zack asked.

"That would be me," the animal, Nanaki, said.

The old man's gaze landed on Cloud. "And you… the only Branded that escaped his fate… I wonder…"

"I… take it you must be Bugenhagen," Cloud said.

"That I am," Bugenhagen replied, and he rolled back to face the two boys. "So what brings you two here with Angeal?"

"My adoptive mother, Minerva, sent us," Zack answered.

"Minerva?!" Barret said. "As in the leader of the Paladins, Minerva?! Hasn't shown her face for a while now! Where is she?"

Zack frowned in sorrow. "She's everywhere now."

Apparently, the group figured out the meaning of the Cetra's words, for they all turned somber. "You mean… she's…" Tifa trailed off.

"Damn! I… I'm sorry for your loss, Kid," Cid said. "The brave girl must mean a great deal to you."

Bugenhagen was the one that broke the silence that followed. "If Minerva sent you to me, it must be for a very important reason. What is it that you boys want from me?"

Cloud took the crystal fragment out of his pocket and showed it to the group. "We're in search of four shards of a crystal sphere. As you can see, Minerva herself provided us with the first one."

"That's right," Zack added. "Before she became one of our ancestors, she told us that you have one of the remaining three shards."

"Ah, is that all you want?" Bugenhagen asked, in growing delight. "A shard of a crystal sphere?" Both boys nodded in confirmation. "Ho, ho, hooooo, you've come to the right place! I'll be more than happy to give you the shard, just follow me!" The old man rolled back up the path to what the two friends could assume was his home.

"I presume this is your first time at Grandfather's observatory, correct?" Nanaki asked as he started to follow the old man. "You're in for a treat once you go inside."

Soon the rest of the group trailed close behind to reach a dome-shaped building at the top.

At the entrance, Tifa took hold of Cloud's hand. Both started blushing instantly. "Well, Cloud… um… are you ready to go in?"

"… I guess so."

Just as Zack had decided to follow the two inside, Angeal stepped in front of him. "Wait, Zack. Before we go inside the observatory, there is something I need to do first." He took his large sword and held it up toward the Cetra. "I want you to have this."

Zack's mouth gaped open at the gesture. "The Buster Sword? But… but that doesn't feel right. It's yours! Besides, I'm not even sure if I'm strong enough to wield it!"

"This sword will play a key role in the days to come. And as you know, I'm not going to be with you for the rest of the journey. Please take it."

Overwhelmed with emotion, Zack slowly reached out and took the Buster Sword, holding the grip of the blade tightly. It surprised him to feel how light it was in his hands, in spite of its massive size. Guess he was strong enough to lift it after all. "I… I don't think I'm worthy to own this."

"Even if you aren't," Angeal replied. "It's your job to keep it safe until it's ready to be used by someone who _is_ worthy."

Zack finally smiled and sheathed the blade, attaching it to the magnet on the back of his suspenders. "Th-thank you, Angeal. I'll take good care of it."

"Good. Now let's go inside, shall we?"

xX0Xx

"Ow." Cloud hissed, having stubbed his toe for the second time.

"Careful. Bugenhagen tends to misplace things sometimes." Tifa said, doing her best to guide her long lost friend through the dark hall.

"Just a few more steps… You're gonna love this!" Cid said with a grin.

"Yo!" Zack called out. "Bugenhagen? Where are you?"

"He's right over dere, Pointy-ears." Barret called out before he disappeared into a corner with Yuffie, Nanaki, and Cid. There was light shining from the corner in question. As the rest of the group made their approach, Cloud and Zack stared in awe at the sight before them.

The whole room was set up like a diagram of the solar system, complete with stars and planets. Most remarkable of all, the diagram moved! The two boys watched, fascinated by the 'planets' spinning like tops as they orbited the sun.

"You like what you see?" Angeal asked. "I was just as amazed as you are when I first saw it."

"Yeah, it's incredible!" Cloud gasped. "But… what is it for?"

"Ho, ho, hooooo! What's it for?" Bugenhagen said. "It's all about reading the heavens, and moving as the heavens move. The trick is how to know when." He rolled around, ducking under a model of a planet. "The sun, the moons, the stars… those are the angles of eternity. That's how I know it's coming!"

"Know what's coming?" Zack asked.

"He's talking about the Great Alignment." Tifa answered.

"The Great Alignment?" Cloud asked. "What's that?"

"THE GREAT ALIGNMENT IS THE END OF THE WORLD!" Yuffie hollered, but instantly gave a thoughtful pose. "Or is it the beginning?"

"Pipe down, pipsqueak!" Barret yelled at the twelve-year-old. "You're scarin' Spikey and Pointy-ears over there."

"Ah yes, the Great Alignment," Bugenhagen mused. "The meeting of two lunar sisters with their solar father… It's an event that takes place once every thousand years, and the Jenova Lords plan to use the light of that Alignment to make themselves into gods of darkness, using their blasted black materia as a conduit. They're already halfway there thanks to the Great Alignment of a thousand years past. Now another Great Alignment is coming up, and they're not hesitating in their plans to take advantage of its power. If they're not stopped, they'll become powerful enough to destroy the Planet!"

"That's not good," Zack muttered.

"Hmmm, all the more reason to collect the four shards before it happens," Cloud reasoned.

"Exactly!" Bugenhagen said, and began to look around the shelves below. "Nanaki, would you mind helping me out with the search… I know I have it somewhere…"

Nanaki peered into the many shelves, his good eye scanning the contents until it laid on one item in particular. "Found it, Grandfather! It is right over there."

"Ho, ho, hoooo! Thank you!" the old man rolled over to the object in question and picked it up, groaning a bit at the weight.

"So what do we do once we find all four shards?" Cloud asked.

"Put 'em back together again," Cid answered bluntly. "Or so I heard."

"But how?"

"Don't worry," Bugenhagen placed what turned out to be a treasure chest onto the table. "You'll get your answers in due time. Anyway, you'll find your next shard in here."

Enthusiastic, Zack stepped forward. "Thanks, old man!"

The others gathered around as he opened the chest. Zack's smile vanished into confusion upon seeing the contents. It turned out that there were several crystal shards of various shapes. He scooped up a handful. "Uhhh… which one is it?"

The old man looked grim. "That's the problem. I don't know."

"Aw man, we were so close! How are we going to find the shard at this rate?"

Angeal stepped toward his student. "Listen to me, Zack. No human on the Planet has ever solved this kind of puzzle." He put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "But maybe a Cetra like you can."

"You think so?"

"I know so. You can do this, Zack. Trust me."

The Cetra nodded. "Okay. I'll start the search right away."

xX0Xx

A few hours passed. The model of the solar system continued its motion as the sun set, making way for darkness of the evening.

Barret sat back with Nanaki, watching Cid pace back and forth. Bugenhagen, on the other hand, watched the raven-haired Cetra as he narrowed down his search with the help of Cloud and Tifa.

Cloud held out his shard trying to make a comparison to the three now lying on the table. "These are the closest to this shard."

"You're right," Zack said. "It's definitely one of those three, no doubt about it!"

Tifa looked down at the three fragments in confusion. "But which one? Which one is it?"

"Yeah, how do choose the right one?" Yuffie added.

By then, Barret was beginning to lose his patience. "WHAT'S DA HOLDUP, POINTY-EARS?! YER ALREADY TAKIN' TOO LONG AS IT IS! HURRY UP!"

"Shut up Barret!" Cid yelled. "Cut him some slack! He's trying his goddamned hardest to find that missing shard!"

But Zack was stumped. He honestly had no idea how to pick out the correct shard from the batch of three.

" _ **Zack…**_ " a familiar voice called out in his mind.

" _ **Minerva?**_ "

The dead leader materialized by his side, unseen by the others. " _ **Do not give up, Zack. There is a way to find the right one.**_ "

" _ **How? All three of those crystal shards look the same.**_ "

" _ **Look ahead of you.**_ " She pointed straight ahead, and the Cetra saw a row of five glass disks. " _ **Touch them.**_ " He reached out, and the moment his fingers made contact with one of the disks, it glowed, emitting a specific note of music. Cloud, Tifa and Yuffie, stepped back in surprise.

"Hey!" Yuffie piped up. "How'd you do that?"

"Yeah, how DID you do it?" Tifa gasped. "I've touched those disks many times since I came here, but it never did anything like this before!"

Curious, Cloud reached up to touch the disks, but they did nothing. "Angeal? You see this, right? Is this something only a Cetra can use?"

"It looks like it," Angeal replied, as he turned toward the Cetra. "Touch it again, Zack."

Zack once again laid his fingers on the disks, and once more they rang with sound and glowed with a soft colored light. As he played around, he discovered that each disk had a glow of five different colors attached to each note in the scale from C to G: red, orange, yellow, green and blue.

The music grabbed the attention of the rest of the group, especially Bugenhagen. "Hm? Now there's something I haven't seen or heard of in sixteen years!"

" _ **Something will happen when you play the right song,**_ " Minerva noted.

" _ **The right song?**_ " Zack asked. But his adoptive mother had already returned to the Lifestream.

 _The right song…_ He thought hard, trying to think of any song to play.

And then… he recalled the voices of the Planet. The song they sang to him, the song he had never heard before.

It was as though a lightbulb flashed in his head. Facing the disks again, he slowly reached out and traced his fingers on each one to play the song, note by note.

C, D, C-D-E, G, F, E… D, C-D, E, C.

It was at that very moment, something extraordinary happened. The crystal shard in Cloud's hand began to resonate with a pure tone, glowing with a warm white light. And as the others looked down at the table…

There it was! The shard in the middle, resonating and glowing with the exact same light!

Zack grinned the moment he picked it up. "I found it!"

"AW YEAH! FINALLY!" Cid rejoiced. Soon the others gathered around for a closer look at the shard.

"Ho, ho, hooooo! Now you have two shards of a crystal sphere!" Bugenhagen said. "Bet you're wondering what to do next. Well, if you need any guidance, look no further than the Wheel of Destiny."

"The Wheel of Destiny?" Zack asked.

Suddenly, Cloud felt a stab of pain in his right eye. He held a hand over it as he collapsed onto his knees.

"Cloud?" Tifa gasped in worry as she and Zack knelt down to the blond's level. "Cloud! What's wrong?"

"I-I don't know!" Cloud stuttered. "My right eye… It hurts!"

"Cloud! Let me have a look." Angeal suggested. The blond complied and lowered his hand. The green eye glowed, and the pupil was slit like a serpent's or cat's. "This is not good."

"Angeal, what is going on here?!" Zack asked in worry.

"It's part of the Jenova Lords' curse! When the eye of the Branded starts glowing, that means the Jenova Lords or their Extensions are close by!"

" _WHAT?!_ But that means…!"

"Exactly."

Zack and Cloud grew stiff with terror. They never thought the Jenova Lord would find them so quickly!

The Branded covered his right eye as another stab of pain assaulted it. "I… I see something! Men with silver hair… green eyes… all riding black beasts…" He trembled as he stood up. "They're… they're coming! They're-"

A loud boom resounded from a wall of the observatory. The whole team jumped away to avoid flying debris from the shockwave. Thankfully, the observatory was large enough to make that possible, though they still got hit by small pieces.

The model itself, though, was not so lucky. Chunks of rock scratched the rings and knocked several of the smaller planet models to the ground.

Zack rose first to face the source of the blast. What he saw brought chills down his spine.

Huge beasts tore down the walls. On them, widening the hole with lightning, fire, and ice, were young men with silver hair and green slitted eyes.

Young men who accompanied the Jenova Lords that horrible day of slaughter sixteen years ago.

The slaughter which he, alone, survived.

He lifted the Buster Sword, eager to face them in spite of his fear. The hired guardians, Angeal, and Nanaki also took fighting stances just as quickly, their weapons ready.

Cloud held his sword, too, though he was frozen stiff with terror. Several of those young men reminded him too much of the one man that haunted his own dreams for years. It got even worse when their eyes met his and those of his friend.

"There they are! Kill the Cetra! Bring back our lost brother!"

"Extensions!" Bugenhagen yelled.

One of the beasts swiped at him, causing him to fall off his crystal ball to avoid injury. With no way to fight back on his own, he broke into a run.

Several Extensions leaped off their Shadow Creepers, ready to strike.

"Stay back, ya creeps! Get outta dere!" Barret started shooting at several of them with his gun arm.

Yuffie attempted to strike a Shadow Creeper that had smashed some shelves in its attempt to pounce on Bugenhagen. The oversized shuriken met its mark, but much to her chagrin, it was failed to kill it.

Furious over this denial of its prey, the wounded beast chased after the young ninja instead.

Cloud watched in amazement as Tifa punched another of the beasts in the gut and knocked down an Extension with a roundhouse kick. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

The girl winked. "A man called Zangan taught me some martial arts after you disappeared. I needed to defend myself somehow."

Distracted by the chatter, she didn't immediately notice an Extension leaping up to strike her with his spear.

Cloud struck down the attacker in one swing.

The martial artist let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Thanks, Cloud. You're not a bad fighter yourself."

"Thank Angeal for that one."

Nanaki started gnawing on the rump of a Shadow Creeper, refusing to let go. The Extension riding it threw a fireball toward Cid.

The gruff lancer struck it back the way it came with his spear and sent it back at his enemy, burning the Extension and his mount to a crisp.

Zack sliced through several of the monsters, using the blunt side of the Buster Sword. It reassured him that Angeal had a spare longsword on his person, so the Paladin could fight by his side.

Yet even as the team cut down a number of enemy fighters, several more arrived to take their place. A few Extensions attacked more powerful magic, adding power to their rapidly growing numbers.

"Goddamnit! There's too many of them!" Cid wiped the sweat from his brow.

At that very moment, some of them thrust out open hands. A mist of dark energy materialized from their fingertips, tracing their bodies and their blades. Then they sped toward their opponents, too fast for anyone to see clearly.

One slammed an energy-enhanced fist into Barret's face, and sent him flying into some crates.

Another ducked around Cid's spear before unleashing a storm of black lightning onto him and Nanaki.

The Shadow Creeper caught up with Yuffie, clawing at her back. She escaped further injury by ducking away from two more Extensions.

Cloud and Tifa struggled to withstand the merciless flurry of an Extension's sword.

"It's not worth it to resist us, Brother!" the Extension mocked. "Just give up and come with us!"

"I'm not your brother!" Cloud shouted. "Why are you calling me that?!" In a flash, he took hold of Tifa's hand and made a run for it.

Even Angeal had a hard time holding his ground against his enemies' growing power. In fact, he found it harder and harder to lift his longsword. The Paladin glanced behind him and horror struck upon seeing a crowd of Extensions closing in on his Cetra ward.

Frustrated at this change of fortune, Zack swung his sword at the crowd. He didn't notice the golden aura enveloping him until an arching beam shot from the tip of his blade.

The beam mowed down many Extensions in its path as if they were nothing more than flimsy paper.

Stunned by what he had done, Zack couldn't react to the fireball aimed straight for his gut. The force of the spell sent him crashing into a wall.

"ZACK!" Cloud yelled as an Extension raised his sword to cleave his vulnerable prey in two.

Zack shut his eyes, bracing himself for the impact.

It never came. When he opened his eyes, he found his mentor blocking the sword.

Angeal turned his head toward him. "Zack, take the shard, and get out of here with Cloud! I'll stay here and hold them off!"

"But Angeal," Zack protested. "I can take those guys! I can help you!"

"Not at your current level! You're not strong enough to face this many yet! If you stay here any longer, these Extensions will kill you for sure! NOW GO!"

Zack stared at the stubborn Paladin for a while. Finally, he scrambled to his feet and dashed for the solar system model, his eyes on the window above.

"All of you!" Bugenhagen shouted. "Go with Cloud and Zack. They play a key role in the events to come! Protect them with everything you've got! That means you, too, Nanaki!"

"But Grandfather!" Nanaki exclaimed as Cloud and the others headed toward the same direction as the Cetra.

"Don't worry about me! You have more important things to do right now! GO!"

Reluctantly, the animal followed the rest of the group.

The Shadow Creepers rushed over in hot pursuit, clinging to portions of the model and grinding it to a halt. But the companions had already managed to get themselves to an unseen corner at the top.

"This way, everyone!" Cid called out. "I have a bunch of motorbikes on the ready for times like this!"

"C'mon, let's go!" Tifa insisted, and Cloud didn't hesitate to leap toward the window and crash through. The rest of his friends, old and new alike, followed suit.

Bugenhagen, even as his home was in the midst of being destroyed, smiled when he saw them all go. And so did Angeal, knowing full well that both of his students were safe, at least for the time being.

The Extensions and their Shadow Creepers came at him full force. Again and again, the Paladin swung his blade and cast his magic, but his enemies continued to advance. Soon, they surrounded him on all sides.

Severely wounded, Angeal continued to fight. At last, however, the Extensions fell upon him, their swords and lances drenched in blood.

xX0Xx

Outside the observatory, the whole group tumbled down the hill toward where the motorcycles were parked. All except for Zack, who somehow had started _gliding_ swiftly through the air! The others had trouble seeing him even with the glowing bioluminescence of the nearby forest.

He was the first to reach the motorbikes, by crash-landing, much to the surprise of his companions.

"How'd you get here before us, Pointy-ears?!" Barret asked.

"I don't know!" In all honesty, he was as confused as them.

"We'll talk about that another time!" Cloud stared at the roaring blaze where Bugenhagen's observatory once stood. "Let's hurry before the Extensions find us again!"

"Got it!" Tifa mounted a bike with the blond.

Zack couldn't agree more, but even so, he was reluctant to leave Angeal behind. To him, the man was the closest thing he had to both a brother and a father, and he couldn't help but worry about him. Still, he didn't hesitate to get on his motorbike.

"Hey, I don' think Spikey knows how to ride one o' these things! Or Pointy-ears, for dat matter!"

"At this point, Barret, it doesn't hurt to try," Zack reasoned as he got the big man with the gun arm secure from behind him, while Cid gathered Yuffie and Nanaki to his side on the third bike.

"Okay, to the Bright Shroud!" Cid announced.

"HEY, WAIT! I HAVEN'T TAKEN MY MEDICINE FOR-" To Yuffie's dismay, the motorcycles revved up and they were already moving at full speed toward the glowing forest.

Two more bikers watched them leave.

"C'mon, Yazoo," Loz said. "Let's go after them! VROOM, VROOM!"

Yazoo nodded, and the two Lords raced after their prey.

Due to the bioluminescent nature of the semi-tropical Bright Shroud, Zack soon took notice.

Cloud took notice as well, due to the flaring pain in his right eye. "Oh no! We've got company!"

"Shit!" Cid cursed, "It's the goddamn Jenova Lords!"

"Let's move!" Zack picked up the pace.

Barret tried to shoot at them to hold them off, but they were able to dodge the bullets with little to no effort, and they easily dodged the bullets while closing in.

Zack growled in frustration. No matter how they tried, none of his friends could shake off their pursuers. Until…

" _ **Zack!**_ "

Zack gasped at the sound of the voice echoing in his mind. " _ **Angeal?**_ " But… but that was impossible! Angeal couldn't possibly speak to him telepathically, unless...!

 _Oh no! No! It can't be!_

" _ **Zack, listen to me for a moment! There's a tunnel hidden behind some foliage to the right of you. Head in that direction!**_ "

Even as his eyes misted with tears, he nodded in understanding. "GUYS, FOLLOW ME!" And he took a sudden sharp turn to the right. Hoping that the Cetra knew what he was doing, Cloud and Cid followed suit.

In merely a few seconds, Loz and Yazoo skid to a halt. The childlike Lord banged his hand in frustration. "AWWW, WE LOST THEM! THAT'S NOT FAIR!"

"Don't worry crybaby," Yazoo assured. "We'll find them again and catch up with them soon enough."

"I'M NOT CRYING!" Of course, the way he bawled out the words proved otherwise.

Note: Two shards of a crystal sphere have been found, but at a terrible cost! A few side notes to mention, the Big Sister moon , Little Sister moon and Big Daddy sun are based on a reference to a game called Bioshock. As for the melody Zack played to find the second shard, you'll find it to be a familiar tune from Advent Children. Finally, here's the translation of another Cetran phrase-

"Jarru ke wie, biik."- Hello to you, too.

All right, we got that out of the way! In the next chapter, our heroes and their new friends plan for the quest ahead, and as they go out into the forest and the moor, Cloud reveals the story of his past. How did he get Branded? How exactly did he escape? And most importantly, how did his lifelong friendship with Zack begin? You'll just have to wait and see! Until Next Time!


	4. The Branding of Cloud

Note: this was the hardest chapter I had to work on so far; it was in desperate need of polishing! But luckily for you, it's finally done! So without further ado... our heroes have managed to escape the Jenova Lords, and are now contemplating as to what to do next. Much will be revealed as Cloud tells the story of his past, and of how his friendship with Zack began. Enjoy!

 **Chapter 3: The Branding of Cloud**

The new companions rested under the shade of a gnarled tree centered in the Bright Shroud. The motorcycles were left to the side, their engines up in smoke.

"It's a good thing we gave those bastards the slip before we ran outta gas," Cid noted.

"Yeah," Cloud replied. "My right eye doesn't hurt anymore. Probably means we're safe."

"You know, I'm impressed with you and Zack over there. It's your first time riding motorcycles, and yet you both rode 'em like seasoned champs!"

Cid's words, of course, sent Yuffie straight to emptying her queasy stomach.

Cloud gave a small smile. "I'm surprised I didn't get motion sickness like she did." The smile vanished the moment he gazed in the direction of Bugenhagen's Cliff. The others looked on, as well; even through the glowing trees they could see the faint light of the raging fire where the observatory once stood.

"Bugenhagen…" Tifa sighed.

Nanaki trotted forward, unable to believe what had transpired. "Our home… Grandfather… gone!"

After staring for what seemed like an eternity, Zack could no longer hold back his tears. Stepping toward the tree, he sat down and sobbed softly.

Barret couldn't hold back his emotions either. He let out a scream, shooting the air with his gun arm. All the animals nearby fled from the noise. "DAMN J'NOVA LORDS! DAMN EXTENSIONS!"

"Cut it out! You're making too much fucking noise!" Cid barked. "You want the Jenova Lords to come after us again?!"

Within minutes, the man with the gun arm stopped shooting and sank to his knees. "Old Man Bugenhagen had t' stay behind and get killed…"

"No," Zack said suddenly. Everyone turned toward him in surprise, even Yuffie, who recovered from her motion sickness. "Bugenhagen is still alive."

"What?!" Cid gasped. "You mean that?!"

"If he wasn't, I… I'd be hearing his voice by now."

"But if Bugenhagen's alive," Tifa asked, "why are you crying?"

Cloud's eyes widened in horror, remembering who else had stayed behind. "Angeal… No… he… he couldn't have! Zack! Is… is he… dead?"

Zack sniffed and nodded his head. "Yes." The companions stepped closer for an explanation, unable to believe what they had heard. "The Extensions got him. I… I heard his voice… while we were making our escape. He was the one who told me to go down the path… that allowed us to shake off the Jenova Lords." His breath hitched to release another sob. "Even now, I feel his presence among our ancestors… I-I still can't believe it! First Minerva… a-and now Angeal!"

Cloud slumped down, as though the words added weight to his shoulders. Abruptly, he walked away from the group to another corner of the forest, his head bowed low.

Even in the midst of mourning his mentor, Zack quickly took notice. "Cloud?" Receiving no answer, the Cetra stood up and rushed after him. "Cloud, wait! CLOUD!" It was a good distance before he caught up. "What's gotten into you? Where are you going?"

Cloud stopped. When he finally spoke, his voice was ladened with guilt. "Zack, admit it. It's my fault Angeal got killed."

"Your fault?! Now what gave you that idea?!"

"I'm one of the Branded! I brought the Extensions to Bugenhagen's Cliff!" He took his shard out of his pocket, glaring at it. "What was Lady Minerva thinking? Giving this shard to the likes of me?!"

He pulled back to toss the shard away, but Zack caught him by the wrist, forcing him to drop the shard on the spot. "CLOUD, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?! None of this is your fault!"

"But it _is_ my fault…" Cloud protested weakly. "If I had let Sephiroth take me away eight years ago—or better yet, if I had died at the bridge in Nibelheim—then none of this would have happened!"

The next thing he knew, Zack pulled the back of his head. Hard.

"OW!"

Tightening his grip, Zack forced the blond to face him.

"Don't… you… EVER say that again! You did _not_ bring the Extensions to Bugenhagen's Cliff; _they_ were the ones looking for _us!_ And yes, I'm sad that Angeal is gone, but he chose to stay behind and hold them off for our sake, even at the cost of his own life!"

Cloud squeezed his eyes shut, trying to pull himself away from Zack's grip.

Zack shook his head and let go. "Cloud, I know you're upset about this as much as I am, but think of it this way: were you responsible for the destruction of my village, Gongaga? Were you responsible for the extermination of my race?"

Cloud looked up at his friend with wide eyes. "No! I-I had nothing to do with it!"

"Exactly! What happened sixteen years ago, and what happened back at the Cliff… it's all on the Jenova Lords' heads. Not yours."

To the Cetra's relief, Cloud seemed to calm down. The blond bowed his head. "I guess I understand… somewhat. Still, I never thought this quest would be… so hard!"

Zack smiled. "Nobody said it was going to be easy. It's not. And _that's_ something I can now say from personal experience. We both have a lot to learn out here in this world, and if we're to save it together, then we can't let a setback like this drag us down." He patted his friend's shoulder. "Now let's head back to where our new friends are waiting and get some shuteye. We have a big day tomorrow."

Cloud nodded as a small smile returned on his face. "Sure."

xX0Xx

The calming sounds of nature filled the morning air. The calming part was familiar to Cloud. But with the sense of calm now came wonder and a small, healthy dose of fear. Even in his troubled childhood, he had only known of the forests and glades of the Bright Shroud and their creatures through books and television. To actually be there in person was a completely new experience. The thought of coming face to face with all those strange plants and animals scared him.

Cloud thanked the Planet that he did not have to face this journey alone.

All the others had already woken up and healed themselves thanks to Bugenhagen's potions. They gathered close to him and Zack.

"So now we have two shards…" Nanaki said.

"Yep," Zack replied with a grin. "Two down, two to go."

"Um, I have a question," Tifa said. "Once we get all four of these, and we put them back together, what do we do with… whatever it's supposed to be?"

"Yeah, what is it exactly?" Yuffie asked.

"We s'posed to take it somewhere?" Barret added.

"Come to think of it, Bugenhagen never told any of us about what's so special about these shards in particular," Cid noted. "All he said is that they're the key to savin' the world and that's it. No explanation on how."

"I was wondering the same thing," Zack said. "Minerva and Angeal must have known something about its importance, but they never said what."

Cloud glanced back and forth between the two shards. "What if we put those two together? What would happen then?"

"Hey, I think you're on to something, Cloud! Let's find out."

The two friends positioned their shards together, making half of a sphere. The moment the fragments met, an image appeared on its pure white surface. Two spheres side by side, one white and one black. The white sphere glowed as it conjured up a sword. Then the weapon and the black sphere collided, and pieces flew to the side before the two shards separated again, ending the strange vision.

"What just happened?" Yuffie asked.

Nanaki tilted his head. "You seem rather perplexed."

"We saw something in there," Cloud said. "Two crystal balls of different colors… they were facing each other as if they getting ready for a battle."

"A battle?" Tifa asked.

"Sure looked like it," Zack replied. "One of them summoned a sword. Now that I think about it, it looked just like the Buster Sword Angeal gave me." Placing his shard in his pocket, Zack took said sword in hand and showed it to his companions. "He said that it plays a key role in the days to come, and I think it's starting to make a little bit of sense. Problem is, we still don't know what role it plays, or how it's tied to the four shards."

Cid muttered, "So many damn questions…"

"Wait," Cloud suddenly said. "Didn't Bugenhagen say something about a 'Wheel of Destiny' and how that would answer those questions?"

"Of course!" Zack gasped. "The Wheel of Destiny! Whatever that is, it might know something about the four shards!"

Tifa clapped her hands. "I see! So our best chance would be to seek out this Wheel of Destiny!"

"Then it's settled!" Cid pounded a fist in his open palm. "We'll get started as soon as we get some breakfast!"

"I'll be da leader o' dis team!" Barret announced.

"Uh, I doubt that one, Barret…"

"Why not?!"

"Well, for one thing, ya lose your temper too easily."

"SAY WHAT?!"

"You know, Cid has a point," Nanaki noted.

A sudden noise nearby soon interrupted the discussion.

"What wuzzat?" Yuffie said. Everyone jumped to their feet, more aware of their surroundings.

"Cloud," Zack asked, "is your right eye hurting right now?"

"No."

"Good. Then it's nothing to do with the Jenova Lords." Zack looked around. "Still, if there's one thing I know about the natural world, it's that there're wild animals living there, as well as some monsters. This place is no exception." A smile played across his lips. "I say this is our cue to go out and find some food."

"Are you sure?" Tifa asked. "None of us have been to the Bright Shroud before. There's a big chance we'll get lost."

"That won't be too much of a problem," Zack said. "Thanks to my Cetra heritage, I have the ability to talk to animals. If there's any local wildlife willing to guide us around, we'll find our way soon enough."

"I sure hope you're right."

"For now, though, we'll be splitting up to cover more ground." Zack said as he sheathed the Buster Sword. "It's a bit of a risk, but it's our best option. Cloud, you go with Tifa and Yuffie to search for food in the trees, as well as look out for monsters. Cid, Barret, and Nanaki will come with me to the moor to see if we can find some grub there." He took a pink ribbon from his pocket. "I'll also keep a lookout for any animals who are willing to become our guide. I'll tie this ribbon onto one of them and send it over to your group to help you with navigation."

Cloud simply nodded. "Just be careful."

"Don't worry. I will."

And with that reassurance, the two groups parted.

xX0Xx

"Hey, monster! Come out, come out wherever you are!" Of course, the only thing that responded to Yuffie's call was a startled bird.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Tifa asked. "You may be able to use a shuriken, but you're still just a kid."

"JUST A KID?! I'm twelve years old! I can handle a big monster myself! You just wait!"

Tifa shook her head before her eyes landed on a certain blond sulking by her side. He bowed his head low, as if trying to avoid her gaze. Fighting back a blush, she took the initiative. "So Cloud… is there something on your mind?" He didn't give a direct response, but the long sigh he let out more than answered her question. "I know you might not want to talk about it, but… what happened eight years ago? How did you get Branded in the first place?"

Cloud stopped, startling the martial artist. For a quiet moment, she worried that she had struck a nerve. But then he raised his head. "Tifa… it's been eight long years since we last saw each other. You deserve to know what happened to me that day." He took in a deep long breath. "Do you remember that time, when your mother passed away?"

Her breath hitched, and her eyes misted with tears. "How could I not?"

oV9Vo

" _I wanna go see Mom!" An eight-year-old Tifa burst through the door with tears in her eyes, passing a startled eight-year-old Cloud._

" _Tifa? Tifa, wait! What's the matter?" Receiving no answer, Cloud rushed after her as she headed toward the mountain._

"I'd always been the village outcast," Cloud said. "Even the adults looked down on me, and I was the target of every bully in town. The only person who cared about me was my mother, and I loved her so much. She was there for me when my father died of a terminal illness long ago."

"I admit, we weren't initially close friends," Tifa said. "But still, you were a nice kid."

"Yeah… and that was one of the reasons I liked you from the start. I had no friends, and I wanted you to be the first. So for many years, I would try whatever I could think of to make you notice me. Then one day, in August, you finally did. I was so overjoyed. It seemed like everything in my life would finally go right. But two days after that, your mother died and you ran towards the Nibel mountain range…"

" _Tifa, come back!" the little blond cried out as Tifa slowly tottered onto the old, rickety bridge. "It's too dangerous!"_

" _But my mom's spirit might be on the other side!" Tifa called back. "I wanna see her before she goes into the Lifestream!" The little girl proceeded across the bridge._

" _No, wait! TIFA!"_

 _In an instant, the bridge gave way. Cloud grabbed hold of Tifa's hand, trying to pull her up. Instead, she dragged him down with her._

 _They fell down the chasm screaming._

"For a moment, everything was black. When I finally opened my eyes, we were at the bottom of the chasm… and you were lying there on top of me. I got away with only scratches and skinned knees, but you… You were unconscious and severely wounded. You can only imagine how scared I was for you. Taking you in my arms, I hurried back to the village as quickly as I could…"

" _Why did you bring her there?!"_

" _What the hell is the matter with you?!"_

 _Cloud stood in front of the crowd, trembling at their hateful glares. "I…I didn't…"_

" _It's your fault she's like this!" bellowed Tifa's father. "What if she dies?! It should have been you, not her!"_

 _The boy immediately burst into tears._

"…I tried to tell everyone what had happened, Tifa. But no one believed me… at first. They were all so angry at me, especially your father; he forbade me from ever going near you again."

"Oh Cloud…" Tifa sighed, her own eyes misting into tears.

The blond lowered his head. "I was afraid that you wouldn't make it. I felt so weak, so helpless… I felt that even if you did survive, you would hate me for what happened. I was certain that I lost my friendship with you…"

"Just to make it clear to you, I don't hate you. And I certainly don't blame you."

A sad smile crept upon Cloud's lips. "Thanks, Tifa… Anyway…" He let out a sigh, trembling at the memory. "I was so distraught over what happened I didn't notice when it got dark. I knew the stories. I heard the warnings. But I didn't care… until _he_ showed up…"

 _In the cold, clear night air, Cloud hunched over near the well. Only his quiet sobs broke the silence._

 _Overwhelmed with heartbreak, he didn't notice the soft footsteps approaching or the shadow enveloping him._

 _Finally, a husky voice spoke. "Hello there. Why so glum?"_

 _Cloud jumped back, gasping, and found himself staring wide-eyed at a man he'd never seen before. A man with long silver hair, dressed in black._

 _The man smirked at him. "Don't be scared. I am here to help you."_

" _Help… me?" Cloud muttered._

" _Tell me what's wrong."_

 _The little boy lowered his head. "I was finally going to have a friend. But… but then… something bad happened. I tried to save her, but…"_

" _Did you tell the villagers what happened?"_

" _Yeah… but they don't believe me! They say it's my fault she's dying!"_

" _I believe you."_

 _Cloud slowly looked up in astonishment. "You do?"_

 _The man nodded. "I have been watching you from afar." He stepped closer. "Cloud Strife, is it?"_

" _Y-yes sir."_

 _The man knelt down. "You'll be turning nine in three days, correct? Well, I can make your birthday wish come true. All you have to do is come with me to my castle."_

 _The man's green eyes held a sinister glow. Only then did Cloud gasp. "You're the Jenova Lord… Sephiroth!"_

 _Sephiroth smirked. "Yes."_

 _Cloud backed into the corner of the water tower. "S-stay away! E-everyone in Nibelheim warned me about you!"_

" _Did they?" The Lord stood, crossing his arms. "Since when have the people of this village ever cared about you?"_

 _Again, Cloud gasped._

" _As I said before," Sephiroth continued, "I have been watching you from afar. I've seen how they treat you, how the other children mock you, and kick you when you're down. And the adults are no better. They look upon you as if you're an abomination." He reached out a gloved hand. "My brothers and I are nothing like those fools. Receive my mark, Cloud, and let me take you away from this place. With me, you will never have to suffer under their ridicule again. You will be great, and you will be strong!"_

 _Cloud trembled, trying to back away like a cornered animal. "But I don't wanna go with you!"_

" _No?" Sephiroth said, raising an eyebrow. The smirk didn't change one bit. "Don't you want to be worth something?"_

" _Y-yeah, but-"_

" _But you'd rather stay in a world that abhors you." The boy fell silent as the Jenova Lord continued his dire reasoning. "And that girl you like so much… she will most likely die. And even if, by some miracle, she manages to survive, I highly doubt that she will forgive you for letting her get hurt."_

 _Tears flowed from Cloud's eyes. The Jenova Lord was right. He wasn't wanted here. Everyone hated him… And most likely, Tifa would, too._

" _You see? No one is going to miss you when you're gone. So forget about those fools. Receive my mark, and become great. You deserve much better."_

"…I didn't want to get branded by Sephiroth. Nor did I want him to take me away to Castle Jenova, never to be seen or heard from again. Even back then, I didn't trust him. But I was so heartbroken, so filled with despair… I felt like I had no other choice…"

 _Little Cloud stood up, blinking away his tears as he gave a firm nod._

 _Sephiroth chuckled. "A wise decision, Cloud." The Lord reached out an open palm and enveloped it with green and black energy as he covered the boy's right eye._

 _In an instant, indescribable agony overwhelmed Cloud. He wanted to tear that accursed hand away from his eye, but he couldn't move an inch._

 _After what felt like an eternity, Cloud screamed. At that very moment, Sephiroth's hand finally lifted away. The right eye, once a soft blue, now glowed a harsh shade of green… the same color as that of the most powerful Jenova Lord._

"…It was a decision that I've regretted ever since. Not long after I was Branded, all the people of Nibelheim came out of their homes and gathered around me and Sephiroth. To be honest, I didn't expect anyone in the village to hear my screams, let alone respond. I'll never forget the look of horror in everyone's eyes when they saw me and realized what had happened. Even the cruelest of bullies didn't want their victims to suffer the fate of becoming one of the Branded. Sephiroth succeeded in shaming the mob that night, not only by confirming my innocence, but also pointing out that it was their cruelty toward me that drove me to stay outside so he could claim me as his prize."

"I guess it's safe to say that the villagers finally believed you, huh?" Tifa said.

Cloud nodded. "After that, Sephiroth left, saying that he would return for me on my ninth birthday—which was taking place in only three days. It didn't fully sink in until my mother hugged me, her eyes filled with tears. And how could I have forgotten my mother, the one person in the village who loved me no matter what?!"

Cloud sat on a fallen log, inviting Tifa to do the same. "In the days that followed, everything changed for me. The adults treated me more kindly. Children who once bullied me reached out their hands in friendship. It made everything that much more painful…"

" _Oh,_ _now_ _you want to be my friend…" Cloud muttered. "WELL, YOU SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT BEFORE I GOT BRANDED!"_

" _Cloud, wait!" One of the children said, reaching out to touch his hand._

 _Cloud swiped away the gesture. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" Crying, he rushed into his house, further cementing the children's guilt._

" _Cloud… we're so sorry!"_

"…The whole time, you never woke up. Nibelheim mourned. They mourned for the possibility of your death, and they mourned for me as well. Once a boy is Branded by the Jenova Lords, he will be taken, no matter what. I was so scared. I never knew what happened to the other boys who were branded before me, and I didn't want to find out."

Once more a sad smile crept across his face. "It turns out that I didn't have to. Mother was determined to save me from Sephiroth and his brothers. No one knew that she would be the first person, the only person, who would dare to challenge fate…"

 _Deep into the night of the second day, Cloud laid in his bed unable to fall asleep. Tomorrow was his ninth birthday, his last day in the world. He hugged his pillow tighter, allowing the tears to fall._

 _Suddenly the door to his room opened. He instantly sat up and saw that it was his mother._

" _Mom! You're back!" he gasped. She had left earlier in the morning without explanation, and had been gone all day. Cloud gave her a tight hug. "I thought I'd never see you again… before… before Sephiroth…"_

" _Shhh… It's going to be all right, Cloud."_

" _I don't want to be stolen away!" Cloud cried, not for the first time since his Branding._

 _Mrs. Strife gently broke the embrace. "Cloud… Look at me." The boy wiped away his tears, facing his mother intently. "Yes, you are now a cursed child like all the other boys before you. But you will_ _not_ _be stolen! I have a plan."_

 _To Cloud's amazement, she took out a bottle filled with a strange liquid. "I've made contact with a Paladin of Cosmos who is going to help me do something that has never been done before. But in order for this to work, you must do exactly as I tell you. Do you understand?"_

 _Cloud stared wide-eyed at his mother, before nodding vigorously._

"…She told me that this potion would put me into a very deep slumber, and that I must drink it before I go to bed. And so I did. When I awoke, I was within the mountain range, where I met the Paladin who went out of his way to help me. He told me what happened after I drank that potion…"

 _Cloud's ninth birthday, a scream of horror reverberated from the Strife household, rousing the villagers from their slumber. In nearly an instant, a huge crowd flooded to the front steps, fearing the worst. Although unsure of what to do next, they badly wanted to make amends to the boy they treated so poorly._

 _That was the scene that lay in front of Sephiroth when he arrived minutes later. Seated on his Shadow Creeper, he frowned, staring in curiosity at the villagers' unusual behavior._

 _Climbing off his mount, he strode toward the crowd. Slowly, the heads of the villagers turned toward him. They recoiled as they finally took notice._

" _Where is the boy?"_

 _The crowd remained silent, too terrified to speak. Several of them shrank down, as if he might attack them at any minute. His frown grew deeper._

" _I ask you again. Where. Is. The. Boy?"_

 _More people shrank away, but still, their horror rendered them mute._

 _Finally, he heard the hysterical wails from within the house. The crowd spun back toward the source of the noise. Mrs. Strife came out of the door, weeping, followed by a doctor. In her arms, she carried the limp form of a familiar boy._

 _The doctor sadly shook his head, and soon the whole village uttered a wail of their own, some tearing at their hair and others falling on their knees. Not a single eye remained dry._

 _Undeterred, Sephiroth stepped forward. "What is the meaning of this?"_

 _Mrs. Strife flinched before gazing up. "Forgive me, Lord Sephiroth! But my son… he's… he's dead!"_

" _Dead?" Sephiroth said, raising and eyebrow. This had never happened before. "Are you certain?"_

" _He was so distraught over becoming the Branded… he took ill the previous day. From there, his health got much worse…" She let out a sob. "P-please forgive me! I tried everything I could to get him to feel better, I gave him medicine, healing magic, everything I could think of! But nothing worked. And now…" Once more the woman broke down into sobs, trembling as she held her boy close._

 _Sephiroth came over to examine his prize. He placed is fingers on the boy's neck to check his pulse. Nothing. He felt for air coming from the nose and mouth. Again, nothing. No breath, no heartbeat, no sign of life whatsoever. The woman had spoken the truth._

" _Have you tried phoenix downs to revive him, or any sort of powerful resurrection magic?"_

" _Y-yes," The doctor answered. "But not a single one of them had any effect. I-I'm sorry my Lord... but he's gone. Just don't kill me!"_

 _To the doctor's astonished relief, Sephiroth only let out a frustrated sigh. "How disappointing… And I was just ready to take him with me as a gift for his ninth birthday. Regardless, a Branded who is dead is of no use to me, my brothers, or my mother." He turned away from the crowd of mourners. "I will spare you for the time being. Go ahead and prepare for Cloud's funeral." And with that, he mounted his Shadow Creeper and made a hasty departure._

 _Once the Jenova Lord left, Mrs. Strife faced the villagers. "Everyone, if you would be so kind… let me take him to the mountains. I would lay him there before he goes into the Lifestream."_

" _I'll come with you," Mr. Lockheart said._

" _Thank you, Mr. Lockheart, but no. I understand how dangerous the mountains are, but this is something that I must do alone."_

 _The man let out a sigh. "Just be careful, all right?"_

 _With a single nod, Mrs. Strife wrapped her son in a thick blanket and headed toward the Nibel mountains._

 _As they mourned the supposed death of the young Branded, not a single villager in Nibelheim noticed the figure of a Paladin with pale blond hair watching over the pair from the shadows._

"Wow! To think that I was still in a coma when all this was going on," Tifa said. "Your mother was good! I mean, she was able to fool everybody, even the mighty Sephiroth!"

"Yeah, she knew what she was doing. Before I go on with my story, when did you finally wake up?"

The martial artist grew sad. "Well, I was out for a week. And I remembered everything. As I was getting ready to go see you, I found my father even more depressed than he ever was before. He was the one who told me that you had died, Cloud. He never gave me the details you shared with me, but there was no doubt that he blamed himself for it. I was very upset about the news, so much so that I lashed out at him, saying that it was his fault that you were dead. It made his guilt and depression even worse… and a few days later…"

"What happened?"

"…Father committed suicide. It was Zangan, the man who taught me martial arts, who took me in and raised me."

"Oh… I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's not your fault."

Cloud sighed. "Still, at least I understand what you went through. As you know by now, her plan to save me was successful. But it was still far from perfect. When she took me deep into the mountains, she had intended to find the Paladin who helped us and escape to the Fortress of Cosmos together. There was only one problem, though: Along the way, we had a run-in with pack of Nibel wolves. In her rush to escape them, she slipped and we fell into a crevice. She took the blow to save me as we landed. We were so off course, that by the time the Paladin found us, it was already too late…"

" _NOOOO! MOM!" Cloud cried, leaning against the cold body of his mother. He just couldn't believe it. The effect of the potion he drank had just worn off and he finally woke up… He was certain she was going to go with him to the Fortress. Why did it all go wrong? Why did she have to die?_

 _The Paladin stepped toward the boy and bent down on one knee, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Cloud, I'm sorry. But now we must go."_

 _Cloud looked up and wiped his tears. "B-but, Sir, can't we take her with us? You know a spell that can bring her back to life, don't you?"_

" _Even if I tried, it wouldn't work. She's already too far gone. We have no choice but to leave her and hurry to the Fortress of Cosmos. If we stay here any longer, the Jenova Lords will find us, and your mother's sacrifice will be for nothing!"_

 _Cloud wanted so badly to protest, but he realized that it would do him no good. So instead, he nodded in acceptance._

 _The kindly Paladin smiled. "All right then. Take hold of my hand. I'll lead you down a path where the eyes of Jenova don't follow." Cloud obeyed, and as they walked away, he turned back once to watch his mother's body fade into the Lifestream._

"…In a sad sort of way, it was her death, along with the snow of the mountains, that erased all the signs that I had survived. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made it to the Fortress of Cosmos undetected. At least, that's what the Paladin told me. We traveled through an underground tunnel, one of the few places where the Jenova Lords and their minions fear to tread. When we finally made it to the Fortress itself, I was awed by the power and beauty it represented. The other Paladins were surprised to see me in their halls at first, but when my rescuer told them my story, they immediately warmed up to me, and brought me over to meet Lady Minerva herself."

A small smile crept upon his lips. "Minerva… I'll never forget the first time I saw her. So beautiful and so kind… it was as if my mother had come back to life! She was among the first to welcome me with open arms. She gave me good food, a warm bed… she even went as far as to plan a surprise birthday party for me the next day! Still, in spite of all that, I was very sad…"

 _Sunlight filtered in from the window, as Cloud began to stir. Confusion swept over him the moment he opened his mismatched eyes. He rose quickly, surveying the room._

 _Then the door opened, and a female Paladin stepped in, smiling. "Good morning Cloud! Lady Minerva asked me to give you a tour around the Fortress. If you don't mind, that is."_

 _Memories of the previous day returned to the boy. He placed a hand close to his right eye and frowned._

 _After getting dressed, Cloud reluctantly followed the lady Paladin as she showed him the way around the Fortress. In a sense, he was glad to have someone guide him. But even so, he hardly paid any attention until he felt a ray of sunshine on his skin._

 _For a moment he stood in awe at the beautiful sight before him. Fresh grass, majestic trees, beautiful flowers of every hue… even a pool with a cascading waterfall!_

" _This is our open-air garden," the lady Paladin said. "One of our greatest Paladins, Angeal Hewley, planted many of the flowers and trees here. He's definitely got a green thumb, that's for sure!"_

 _Cloud stepped toward the center of the garden gazing out at the blue sky. It reminded him of the world he left behind. Prior to their arrival, his rescuer made it clear that, for his safety, he could not set foot outside the Fortress until Lady Minerva said otherwise. Which he figured would be highly unlikely. "So this is it…" he said, broken. "This is my home now." He sat on a rock, hugging his knees. "I guess it doesn't matter if I'm here or in Castle Jenova. Either way, I'm never going back to Nibelheim again."_

 _The lady Paladin knelt by his side. "Cloud, I completely understand. But we are doing this to protect you from Sephiroth and his brothers. Lady Minerva's powers are such that she created a special shield here, so that the Jenova Lords will not notice your presence."_

" _I know."_

" _Cheer up. You just need to get used to living here." She gave a wink and a knowing smile. "Who knows? Perhaps you'll find something that will make it all worthwhile." Then she stood up to dust off her pants. "Well, I'm off. How about you stay here for a while? Nature does have a calming effect on troubled minds."_

 _The young Branded could only nod before she walked away. But as soon as she was gone, he bowed his head, ready to cry in his loneliness._

 _yY0Yy_

 _In another part of the Fortress, a small figure panted heavily as he did his squats. He suddenly stopped and stood still as though listening to something._

" _ **Huh? Mom? Dad? What is it?**_ _"_

 _His lips soon stretched into a smile, and he turned toward the doorway._

" _ **Alright! I'll go check it out!**_ _"_

 _yY0Yy_

 _Although many found the music of the waterfall soothing, that was not enough to give Cloud any much needed comfort. His thoughts continued to drift toward his now-deceased mother, and Tifa. Tifa… would she really miss him? He doubted that. As far as he knew, she was most likely dead as well._

 _The poor boy was so caught up in his own sorrow, he didn't notice a figure making his way into the garden._

" _Hey there!"_

 _He barely had time to be surprised when he saw a young boy smiling at him. The boy appeared to be a little older than him, sporting short, spiky black hair and wearing a small version of the Paladins' everyday uniform, colored white. Cheerfully, the boy stepped toward Cloud. "I've never seen you around here before. Are you new?"_

 _Cloud turned away, staring at the ground in front of him. The other boy didn't seem discouraged, however._

" _You're definitely a new resident of the Fortress. Otherwise, the Paladins would be hiding me from you. I'd always be taken to one of our secluded rooms whenever the Fortress of Cosmos has visitors. I'm their biggest secret, you know?"_

 _Cloud didn't pay much attention to the boy's chatter. "Go away!"_

" _Aw c'mon, don't be like that! You're probably feeling a little homesick, I understand. A lot of Paladins left their homes at one point or another to serve the good cause. But you shouldn't get all wrapped up in that kind of dilly dally."_

" _I said, LEAVE ME ALONE!" Cloud lunged toward the boy, ready to beat the pulp out of him. To his surprise, the older boy grabbed him by both wrists. The young Branded continued his fruitless struggle against what turned out to be a strong opponent._

" _You wanna fight?" the boy asked, undaunted. "You wanna fight?" In reply, Cloud pressed on in his attempt at an attack. "I'll teach you!"_

 _He stopped instantly, staring up at the boy. "Huh?"_

 _The boy grinned as he loosened his grip. "Yeah, you heard right! I'll teach you how to fight using swords. I mean it, too!" To prove his point, the boy rushed over to pick up a pair of sticks and gave one to Cloud. "Here! We're too young to use real swords, so we'll practice with these."_

" _Are you sure?"_

" _Of course!" the boy replied with a wink. "Now I'm going to teach you the basics of swordplay, like Angeal taught me!"_

" _Angeal… You mean Angeal Hewley, right?"_

" _Yep! I take it you heard of him?"_

" _Only recently."_

" _Well, you're gonna love him when you meet him! He's one of the greatest Paladins of Cosmos, but he's more than that! To me, Angeal's like a big brother and a dad all wrapped in one! And when I grow up, I want to be a hero just like him! Anyway, let's get started!" He led the young blond to a place in the garden with a lot of room to move. "Now the first thing you need to know is how to intimidate your opponent. Let 'em know you're not someone to mess with. If it helps, think of yourself as a coeurl sizing up its prey, or a Nibel wolf challenging the alpha of his pack. You get what I mean?"_

" _Yeah, I think I do."_

" _There are times, though, when your presence alone won't be enough to psych out your enemy. That's when you let out a powerful battle cry." The boy posed in a fighting stance. "Go ahead, show me your battle cry right now."_

" _O-okay!" Cloud took a deep long breath, gripping his stick hard. Then he charged as fast as he could, letting out a small bark of a yell before leaping upward. The older boy simply blocked his attack with seemingly no effort._

" _Hey, not bad! But you know what? You can do way better than that! Do as I do!" After a brief pause, the boy let out his own battle cry._

 _Compared to Cloud's, it was like the roar of a mighty dragon!_

 _yY0Yy_

 _The boy's voice echoed through several parts of the Fortress, reaching the ears of a young man with short straight black hair and light stubble on his chin. Startled by the noise, the Paladin, Angeal, snapped out of his meditation and turned in the direction of the sound._

 _Mere seconds later, he frowned. "ZACK!" he yelled as he stood up, "YOU BETTER NOT BE SCARING THE ELDERS AGAIN!" He rushed out of the room as quickly as he could, eager to stop whatever mischief his pupil was about to get into._

 _yY0Yy_

 _Cloud tried again. Puffing up his little chest to make himself look tougher, he let out a strangled scream. It sounded more like the bellow of a grizzly than the roar of a dragon, and not quite as impressive, but it was still a big improvement from his last attempt._

" _Awesome! Now that's what I'm talking about!"_

" _You really think so?"_

" _I know so! Now let's get to the fun part! I'm going to show you the basics of swordplay. Come at me! Just don't step on the bugs, though!" And with that, the two boys started clashing their sticks._

 _Angeal entered the garden at this point. Imagine his pleasant surprise when he found his student, practicing swordplay with the Branded boy. Not only practicing, but trying to teach him as well! The Paladin's lips curled into a proud smile. "Well I'll be…"_

 _Cloud grinned, unaware that he and his new sparring partner had attracted an audience. For the first time in his entire life, he was having fun! All thanks to that strange boy._

 _Finally, they lunged at each other one more time—the older boy knocked Cloud's stick away, breaking his own in the process. They both watched as the sticks landed on the ground before slowly turning to face each other. They stared for what seemed like an eternity. Then both began to smile. Then they began to chuckle. And soon both were sharing a good laugh._

" _Wow!" Cloud finally said. "You… you were so amazing!"_

" _Hey, you're not so bad yourself. We should definitely do this more often! After all, there are no other kids our age here. What's your name, by the way?"_

" _Cloud. Cloud Strife."_

" _Cloud, huh? Pleased to meet you. I'm Zack." The two boys shook hands. "I'm sure we're going to be great friends!"_

" _Friends…" Cloud muttered, and he began to smile again._

" _It looks like you finally found your sparring partner," a deep voice called out._

" _Angeal!" Zack bounded over to greet his mentor. "Have you been watching us? What did you think? Cloud was pretty good, wasn't he?"_

" _That's Angeal?" Cloud asked in awe at the big man before him._

 _Angeal chuckled. "Yes, Zack, I saw the whole thing. And I admit, you both did a good job. But you still have a long way to go before you can call yourselves Paladins of Cosmos."_

" _Yeah, I get it," Zack said._

" _W-wait…!" Cloud gasped. "A-Angeal, Sir… you really think I can be a Paladin too?"_

 _The Paladin gave him a gentle smile. "Of course. You have great potential. And to make sure you reach it, I'll train you along with Zack, if you want."_

 _The Branded had never before felt so excited. If he was a Paladin, then he could be stronger. He could stand up to the Jenova Lords and protect everything dear to him! "Oh yes, please!"_

" _Then it's settled. We'll start first thing tomorrow morning."_

" _Oh yeah, this is awesome!" Zack cheered, putting an arm around his new friend. "Let's give it our all Cloud! Then we can be heroes together!"_

 _Amazingly, Cloud couldn't agree more._

"So that was how you and Zack met," Tifa said in wonder.

Cloud nodded, smiling at the memory. "Many years passed since that day, and that was the moment when everything finally went right. I was able to adjust to my new life in the Fortress of Cosmos. Within its walls, I knew I was safe from the Jenova Lords. And best of all, I had Zack. He was the best thing that ever happened to me, the first real friend I ever had. We did many things together, and spent a lot of time in the open-air garden. We played, we learned, we got into mischief… Of course, Zack did most of the pranks. I followed along, but it was still fun. Even when we got into fights, it didn't leave a scratch on our friendship. Even now, our bond is very strong."

Tifa could clearly see the joy in her friend's eyes. "Since you've grown up with him, did you know that Zack is a Cetra?"

"Not until two years ago. But even before then, he's always acted… different from everyone else. A year after I was hidden away, Zack came to me with some questions and ended up giving me a small bit of insight on his past…"

" _Cloud," twelve-year-old Zack asked his now ten-year-old friend. "You used to live in the outside world, right?"_

" _Uh-huh."_

" _What's it like out there?"_

"… _Why do you ask?"_

" _Just wondering."_

 _Cloud frowned. "It's a horrible place. But it's wonderful, too. If you want me to give you the details… it might take a while…"_

" _Yeah, the world is a big place. I want to go out and see it, but Mom and the other Paladins won't let me. It's for a very good reason, and I'm well aware of what it is."_

" _Funny, they wouldn't let me leave either. Not that I want to… It's just…"_

" _That it's too dangerous? I know exactly what you mean! I've been there!"_

 _Cloud's mismatched eyes seemed to bug out. "Really?! But… but I thought you were born here! That you've lived here all your life!"_

" _Well, not exactly," Zack said. "I actually came here when I was only three years old, so my memories of the outside world are pretty vague. But I do remember certain things." It was at that moment he took a pink ribbon from his pocket and held it out for his friend to see. "This ribbon right here? This is all that I have left from my mom."_

" _Wh-what? But I thought Lady Minerva was your mother."_

" _I have two mothers. Minerva was the one who adopted me when my real mother died."_

" _Oh… I see. What about your dad?"_

 _Zack paused for a moment. "He's dead, too. And so are my grandparents… and my aunts, uncles, cousins…" His lips started quivering, and soon his cheeks became wet with tears. "Everyone…!"_

 _Cloud realized that there was something more going on, but he decided not to press the issue for now. "I'm sorry."_

 _Zack sniffed and gave a small smile. "Don't be. I'm just glad we have something else in common. After all, you lost your mom and dad, too."_

"…That took me by surprise. I've never told him about my parents, and yet he seemed to know. But then again, I never thought that he was anything but human. Just that he was a bit… strange at times. Sometimes, I would find him playing with the animals that would sneak into the Fortress. He also talked about conversations he had with people who weren't even there. I thought he had imaginary friends from growing up alone.

"As time passed, however, I was starting to get some suspicions about him, thinking maybe he's not exactly as human as I thought he was. I never confronted him about it, though; I didn't want to hurt his feelings. But one day, two years ago, I finally got the answer I was seeking in a way I never thought possible…"

 _Cloud entered the open-air garden, like he always did when he wanted to clear his head, or find his friend. In this case, it was the latter, and his steps had a particularly energetic bounce this time around, which added to the smile in his eyes. He got something new, and he could hardly wait to show Zack!_

 _It didn't take long to find him seated on a rock. "Hi, Zack! Are you up to some sparring?"_

 _Instead of his usual cheerful response, Zack gave no answer. He didn't even acknowledge Cloud's presence._

" _Zack?"_

" _Shhh, quiet!"_

 _Cloud jumped back at the harsh tone. For a while, he didn't dare utter another word._

 _After a moment of silence, Zack turned toward him and smiled. "Sorry about that. Just trying to concentrate."_

 _"What were you listening to? Our 'ancestors' again?"_

 _Zack nodded._

 _"No offense, but... aren't you getting a little old for imaginary friends?"_

 _Zack turned away for a moment, frowning at the grass. "So you really don't know what I am?" A forlorn sigh escaped his lips. "Well then, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you think of them that way."_

 _Cloud tilted his head sideways in confusion. "Huh? What are you talking about?"_

 _"Oh, it's nothing!" Zack said, waving his hand with a smile before standing up. "Anyway, let's get started! You seem pretty excited today."_

 _Cloud smiled as he took out a longsword._

 _Zack whistled. "Angeal gave you that?"_

 _"Yeah. I'm finally old enough to wield a real sword. I've been practicing with it, so now we won't have to use old wooden swords."_

 _"That's great! Let me get my own sword." Zack hurried over toward the door where his own sword rested._

 _Cloud watched as he friend rushed back, blade in hand. His face was a picture of enthusiasm, but his movements seemed to have lost their energetic bounce. "All right, let's do this! Just watch out for the bugs!"_

 _"Okay!"_

 _Now, real swords, with their weight and their incredible sharpness, would have given the sparring session a new sense of danger and excitement. It started out that way. But as time went on, Zack became slower than usual, not to mention sloppier._

 _Cloud frowned. Was he going easy on him?!_

 _Muscles tensing, he lifted his new sword and picked up the pace, his strikes becoming more aggressive._

 _It didn't seem to help much. Zack barely managed to fend off the attacks. But just_ _barely_ _. It was as though his mind was completely elsewhere._

 _Finally, Cloud thrust straight to Zack's chest._

 _At the same moment, Zack stopped._

 _His eyes gazed blankly into the distance above as he lowered his own blade._

" _ZACK!"_

 _Zack attention snapped back to reality. In a panic, he raised his sword._

 _Thrown upward by the weight and momentum, the two swords slid against each other._

 _Zack stepped back, crying out as he clutched his wounded left cheek._

 _Cloud stared in horror. For a moment, neither of them moved. "...Zack! A-are you all right? I-I'm so sorry!"_

 _"I...I'm fine." Zack tried to grin, even as the deep, x-shaped cut started bleeding sluggishly. "I'm all right. No need to apologize." The smile soon vanished at the sight of his friend. "Cloud?"_

 _"Zack," Cloud said. "I know you're bad at keeping your focus, but this time, you're putting yourself in danger, and I know it's not like you to do that! I mean, what if I stabbed you in the heart instead, and you ended up dying?!" He sighed. "Maybe it's best that I leave you alone for a while. We'll spar again when you feel more up to it."_

 _Zack started trembling, much to Cloud's confusion. "...Alone." Slowly, he turned away. Cloud stepped forward, growing concerned._

 _"Zack? What's wrong?"_

 _"All alone..."_

 _The sword slipped from the wounded boy's hand and clattered to the ground. His breath hitched. He lifted his head to the sky._

 _"Mom... Dad... ancestors... it's not true, is it?" Zack murmured. As he stood for a moment in silence, tears welled up in his eyes. "Why...? Wh-why won't you tell me? The longer I stay here... the more I'm convinced that I'm... that I'm..." He was really starting to choke up now, and he lowered his head. "Maybe Angeal's right... There's no one... like me... There's no one like me!"_

 _His body shook as the tears he struggled to hold back finally flowed down his cheeks._

 _Cloud reached out to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, but stopped. His eyes widened as he gazed at Zack's ears. Though he had seen them many times before, this was the first close look he'd ever gotten._

 _"Zack... your ears...!"_

 _They were pointed. They were the size of human ears, but they were_ _pointed_ _!_

 _"You're really not human, are you?"_

 _Zack gave no answer. At least not the one Cloud wanted._

" _Cloud… I… I'm going to the healer."_

 _And with that, he began to walk away, no longer able to hold back his sobs._

 _"Zack? Zack, wait!" But he was already gone._

 _yY0Yy_

 _Cloud wandered down the silent, empty hall. The things Zack said didn't make any sense. And why had he never noticed his pointed ears until now? Still, it confirmed Cloud's growing suspicions. What it didn't do was answer the question as to what Zack_ _was_ _, and since Zack didn't to want to talk about it, Cloud looked for the one person who knew his friend the best._

 _He found that person leaning close to the window, arms crossed as he gazed outward._

" _Angeal?"_

 _The Paladin looked up. "Cloud! What brings you here?"_

 _Cloud took in a deep breath. "It's about Zack. He's upset, and he said there's no one like him. I want to help him, but I don't know how. I don't even know why he's feeling so sad."_

 _Angeal sighed. "Then you've come to me at the right time. He talked to me about the same thing earlier this morning."_

" _Really? What was he talking about?"_

 _He glanced at Cloud. "Have you ever heard of the Cetra?"_

" _Um… yeah, I think so. They're supposed to be a race of people with strong ties to the Planet. But they only exist in fairy tales… don't they?"_

" _A long time ago, that was not the case. The Cetra were a very real people. They used to number by the thousands, if not more. But all that changed when Jenova and her four sons came to power."_

 _Cloud stared in shock._

" _The Jenova Lords are extremely cruel and calculating. They take great joy in pain, death, and destruction, and have been known to kill hundreds of innocents for sport. The Cetra were their favorite victims. The few they didn't kill outright were taken to Castle Jenova and tortured to death. But the Cetra were anything but defenseless; although a peaceful race, they were capable warriors when they needed to be. That was how they were able to fend off the Jenova Lords for nearly two thousand years. In the end, though, it was not enough."_

 _Angeal stared downward. Cloud quietly encouraged him to continue._

" _I was only twelve, and still in training, when it happened. The Jenova Lords and their Extensions set forth in an all-out attack on the last remaining Cetra villages. One such village was Gongaga, located deep in a jungle. Its residents called out to the Paladins for help. We set out as fast as we could, but the Jenova Lords were faster. By the time we finally arrived, it was already too late. The entire village was destroyed and all the Cetra were dead, every last one of them… except for one small boy, a toddler no older than three. That boy has been living among us Paladins ever since."_

 _Cloud gasped. "Zack is a Cetra?!"_

 _Angeal smiled and nodded. "The only one left in all the world. I know this without a doubt, because_ _ **I**_ _was the one who rescued him."_

"… _I've always wondered why he acted so strange. Now it all makes sense!"_

" _And you know why he's so sad right now?"_

 _Again, Cloud gasped, his eyes widening. "He was lonely…! I'd better go see him!" He was about to leave when Angeal stood up._

" _Then let me come with you. I have a feeling he's not where you think he is."_

 _Angeal led him down the empty hallway. "When it comes to certain emotions, you and Zack are very much alike. If I'm correct, we'd be able to find him right about… here."_

 _They stopped at Zack's bedroom. Sure enough, Cloud heard a familiar voice sobbing from inside._

" _Zack…"_

 _Angeal placed a hand on Cloud's shoulder. "Go in and talk to him. He needs you."_

 _Cloud nodded. Slowly, he stepped toward the door and pushed it open._

 _Zack sat cross-legged on his bed with his back towards Cloud, his whole body shaking with pitiful sobs. Cloud stepped inside. "Zack? It's me, Cloud."_

 _Zack sniffed, turning his head toward him. "Cloud…?"_

" _It's all right, Zack. It's okay… I'm sorry about what happened earlier. Being the last Cetra must be hard."_

 _Almost instantly, Zack spun around. "You… you know! B-but how did you…?!"_

" _Figure it out?" Cloud said, glancing back toward the door. "Angeal told me. He told me everything." He gave a comforting smile. "I still want to hear it from you, though. Do you want to talk about it?"_

 _Zack relaxed and bowed his head. He opened up to his friend right then and there, revealing what he remembered that horrific day. How the Jenova Lords killed his family, and destroyed his home. How the Paladins rescued him, and how Minerva came to be like a second mother to him. And most of all, how his loneliness and his many questions fueled his desire to leave the Fortress of Cosmos._

 _Cloud also revealed the details of his own story. Zack stood up, staring at his friend._

" _No way… you were brought here for the same reason I was! Your mom never told me about_ _that_ _!"_

 _Cloud chuckled sadly. "Yeah. I'm the Paladins' biggest secret, just like you. And it's because of the Jenova Lords that neither of us are allowed to leave. That's fine with me, though. To tell you the truth, I'm scared of them… especially Sephiroth."_

"… _I'm actually scared of the Jenova Lords too. Every part of them scares me, their dark clothes, their silver hair… their toxic green eyes." He couldn't help but shiver. "And that's saying a lot, because I don't scare easily! Maybe that's why I feel so uncomfortable whenever I look at your right eye."_

 _Cloud nodded. "The point is, Zack… I get it. I get what you're going through!" The blond put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Whenever you feel down, come to me. I'll give you a shoulder to cry on, like you did for me. You can cry on my shoulder right now, if you want."_

 _For a while, Zack was speechless. Once more the tears welled up in his eyes. "Cloud… Fo'aan!"_

" _Huh?"_

"' _Fo'aan.' It's Cetran… for 'Thank you.'"_

" _Oh…! I see. So, how do you say, 'You're welcome?'"_

" _Thaalabum."_

 _Cloud smiled. "All right. Thaalabum."_

 _He reached out and pulled Zack into a brotherly hug. Returning the comforting embrace, the Cetra leaned his head on Cloud's shoulder, sobbing his heart out once more. The two friends stayed that way for quite some time while Angeal watched closely, smiling._

oV9Vo

"…After that, our bond became stronger than ever before. He told me how my mother came over from the Lifestream to say hi to me, and my father, too. I was touched by the news. He even taught me me a game he made up as a kid, and invited me to play it with him. For another couple of years, life in the Fortress of Cosmos went on like it always did. Then two days ago, Lady Minerva bade us take part in this quest for the four shards, and passed away. By now, you know the rest of the story."

"Wow, you and Zack have really gone through so much these past eight years!"

"Yeah. Seeing Zack so lonely because he's the last of his kind… I can't help but feel sorry for him. So I made a promise to myself… that if, by some miracle, I happen to find another living Cetra… I would bring them to him. And that way, he could meet them face to face and know that he's not alone. It's a promise that I might never be able to keep, but at least I can try."

The martial artist gave her early childhood friend a smile. "You're really sweet."

Suddenly, there was a rustle of leaves, followed by the shouts of an angry twelve-year-old. "HEY GET BACK HERE!"

"I, uh, think we need to get back to finding food. And keep Yuffie in tow before she gets herself in trouble."

Cloud nodded as they both stood up. "All right. Let's mosey."

Note: In our next chapter, Cloud and his group meet a certain resident of the Bright Shroud who is more than willing to help guide them and the rest of their friends! Who exactly is she? What special secret does she hold? And what does it have to do with a certain hero with midnight locks? One thing is for certain: it's the moment Zerith fans are waiting for! But you're going to have to be patient! Until Next Time!


	5. A Flower Blooming in the Shroud

Note: Whew! all that hard work definitely pays off! This is one of my favorite chapters to write so far, and I'm happy I got it done! We're about to meet a new face that will join Cloud, Zack, and their friends in this journey, and if that doesn't get you pumped up, wait until they discover her amazing secret! Enjoy!

 **Chapter 4: A Flower Blooming in the Shroud**

Half an hour passed, and Cloud's group still couldn't find any food.

Yuffie kicked up a clod of grass in frustration. "Argh! Isn't there anything in this place that's edible?"

"Be patient, Yuffie," Tifa said. "We'll find something."

"Yeah, if we don't get lost first," Yuffie huffed.

Suddenly, the leaves rustled near them. Everyone stopped.

"You guys hear that?" Tifa said, scanning the forest around her. The rest of the small team did the same, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise.

"Is it a monster?" Yuffie asked. "If it's a monster, let me at 'em! I'm so hungry I could tackle it head on!"

Cloud slowly took out his sword, tensing up all the more.

Silence pervaded the forest, broken only by crickets and birdsong.

A twig snapped. Immediately, Cloud spun toward the sound. He caught the glimpse of a figure in red. It stared at him for a second before it vanishing into the forest. "Hey, I think I just saw something!"

"What?!" Tifa gasped. "Where?!"

"They went that way!" Cloud pointed and rushed headlong through the foliage.

Tifa and Yuffie followed, but when they reached the other side there was no sign of whatever—or whoever—he saw.

Cloud knelt down to examine the ground in front of him. "Tifa! Yuffie! Look there!" The girls followed his gaze and found what appeared to be a small boot print in the mud.

"That proves it. I wasn't imagining things."

"It's not a Jenova Lord, is it?" Yuffie asked.

Cloud shook his head. "My right eye would be hurting if it was."

"Well, whoever it is," Tifa said, "I sure hope they're friendly."

They forged ahead, refusing to let their guard down.

Soon the leaves rustled again. Spinning toward the sound, Cloud once again caught a brief glimpse of a figure walking away.

"Hey!" he called out. "Hey! Hello?"

He rushed ahead of the girls, stumbling along the way, until at last he broke through the trees into blinding sunlight.

Slowly, his eyes adjusted. And right before him was a broad glade bordered by tall trees which stood like pillars. Their branches wove together overhead, forming a delicate lattice that reminded Cloud of the metals used to form stained glass windows.

He stepped forward, mesmerized by the sight. In fact, he didn't really pay much attention to where he was going at first.

"Stop!" a feminine voice called out. "Don't step on the flowers!"

Cloud jumped, and turned to find the cloaked figure standing near the edge of the clearing. He glanced down. Sure enough, he stood at the edge of a large, beautiful patch of yellow and white flowers.

"Oh!" He quickly scuffled away. "I-I'm sorry! I was a bit distracted."

The figure stepped closer, now obviously a young girl around his age in a pink dress, a red vest with short sleeves, and a pair of light brown boots. The hood of her red cloak covered her head, but Cloud couldn't deny that her face was pretty. She peered at him and shook her head. "You should at least be more careful."

"I'll try to remember that."

The girl smiled as Cloud bent down for a closer look at the flower patch. They all resembled lilies and gave off a sweet aroma.

"You know, I've never seen flowers like these before. Even in the open-air garden where I used to live. I can see why you'd be so protective of them."

The girl leaned forward. "You're not from around here, are you?"

Cloud gave a small smile. "You got me on that one."

"Cloud?" Tifa called from the trees. "What's going on?"

"Yeah, what's taking you so long?" Yuffie shouted impatiently.

"Tifa! Yuffie! Come take a look at this!"

The girl giggled as Cloud's companions stepped out of the foliage to join him. "I take it you're with him?"

"You might say so," Tifa replied, blushing.

"Oh wow!" Yuffie gasped. "Look at all those flowers!"

Tifa knelt down by Cloud's side. "So pretty!"

"They only grow within the Bright Shroud," the girl explained cheerfully. "I often come here to care for them. Of course, I also planted some back in my village."

"Really?" Tifa said. "I didn't know there's a village in the Bright Shroud."

"There's actually a few villages located around here," the girl said. "The one I live in is home to the Miqo'te. If you like, I can take you there. You do seem a little lost."

"You mean it?" asked Cloud.

"Mmm-hmm! Since this is your first time in the Bright Shroud, I'll gladly be your guide."

"Um, do you know where we can find some food?" Yuffie said. "I'm STARVING!"

"Oh, it's not just for her," Cloud explained. "We're trying to find breakfast to share with everyone. Truth is… we're not the only visitors to this place."

"Oh really?" The girl said. "So there's more of you?"

"Yeah, uh… they're traveling through the wetland side of the Shroud trying to find food there."

The strange girl giggled. "Well, you're in luck! I happen to know a way from here so you can reach the moor and meet your friends. And there's a place in the forest with a grove of fruit trees you can eat from. The peaches from one of them go really well with Dual Horn cream!"

"Then it's settled!" Tifa said. "Lead the way, miss!"

"Yay! We got ourselves a guide!" Yuffie cheered, bouncing up and down.

The cloaked girl nodded. She stepped ahead toward a place thick with hanging vines and whispered something. Suddenly, the vines moved as if of their own accord, revealing a passageway none of them had noticed before.

Cloud managed to pick up what the girl said next. "Fo'aan!"

"WHOA!" Yuffie exclaimed. "HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!"

Cloud shook his head. He had probably heard wrong. And yet…

"Cloud?" Tifa said. "What's wrong? Is something on your mind?"

"No, nothing's wrong. It's just that…"

"Hm?"

"This girl… it's the first time we've met. Yet for some reason, there's something about her that's oddly… _familiar_. It's probably my imagination though."

xX0Xx

The sound of boots and paws squishing in the watery ground filled the air as Zack and his group navigated around the moor.

"Damn!" Barret complained. "Jes when you thought dis place ain't wet enough!"

"Pipe down, Barret! You're just pissed 'bout the fact that you're heavy and sinkin' in the mud," Cid said smugly.

"WHAT'D YOU SAY?!"

"Settle down, guys!" Zack said. "The sooner we get some grub the sooner we can get back to camp and have breakfast. _After_ we get a proper guide, that is." He spotted some animals passing by in the trees. "Ezira! Kel wie gelphor az eed ohmi?" The animals chittered about in their own tongue, and Zack frowned. "Ay QIMOA! Hiku nul'd wie lioa ke gelphor?"

"No luck?" Nanaki asked.

Zack sighed in frustration. "For some reason, none of the animals want to step up and be our guide! And they're laughing at us, too! It's like they want us to go in circles…" A bird chirped and flapped its wings, grabbing the Cetra's attention again. "Oei? Naku chi wie roola tu liach kiito maa'z?"

Growing impatient and hungry, Barret lumbered forward. "Let's jes forget 'bout it for now. I mean, seriously! That how you talk to animals? I don' understand a word you jes sai-"

"HEY!" Zack yelled suddenly, running in front of the man with the gun arm. "Hey, hey, hey, DON'T! NOT ONE MORE STEP!"

"Say what? What ya talkin' about?" Barret asked. Zack glanced down at the ground, and Barret followed the gaze to find a small beetle creeping in his path. "Aw, gimme a break! Zack, dere ain't no need to be wound up over dis. It's jes a little bug!"

"It's a living creature, Barret," Zack snapped as the beetle crawled away to safety. "and we don't need to eat it to survive, so I am NOT going to let you kill it! Not even by accident!"

"B-but—but-"

"DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME THE FIRST TIME?! DON'T STEP ON THE BUGS!" He shoved the big man into the mud before he turned around and started walking again. "Geez, sometimes you humans don't know what you're doing!"

"Note to self," Cid said, "never piss off a Cetra."

Barret, on the other hand, just blinked in utter surprise before he stood up. Who knew a Cetra Zack's size could be strong enough to knock such a big guy over!

Soon another noise rose up from the foliage. Nanaki's ears perked up. "Listen! Did you hear that?"

The rest of the group turned in the direction of the sound. "Yeah," Zack said. "I think it's coming from… over there! Follow me guys!" He sped ahead, with Barret, Cid and Nanaki close behind, all hoping that they're about to find a nice, plump, and juicy morsel for breakfast.

xX0Xx

At the same moment, Cloud and his team reached the moor with the help of their mysterious new guide. He watched as the girl seemed to bounce gracefully with each step, as though one with her surroundings. Soon they crossed deeper waters, using an old, fallen log as a bridge.

"We don't get many visitors in the Bright Shroud," the girl said. "Occasionally, travelers do come here for one reason or another. I help them navigate the Shroud, find food, and avoid predators. There is one kind of visitor I avoid, though."

"And who is that?" Tifa asked.

"Extensions. Usually, they don't even step foot within the Bright Shroud. Whenever they do, it's always to attempt a raid on a village of some sort. Sometimes I'd catch a glimpse of a Jenova Lord who would come in person to kidnap a boy that they had Branded, all in broad daylight. It's scary. And so sad."

Cloud was touched by the girl's words. "Well… would you believe me if I told you that I'm one of the Branded?"

The girl tilted her head in interest. "Really?"

"Really."

She stepped closer to him. "Hmm… your right eye does say that you are Branded. It makes me shiver just staring at it. But you're older than nine."

"I was around nine when I got Branded by Sephiroth."

The girl continued to stare at Cloud for a while. Then she smiled. "Cloud, is it? You're a very lucky boy to have escaped the Jenova Lords when none of the other boys did. And you had your mother to thank for that. You can show me about it later. Right now, though, we need to find your friends." Once more she forged ahead down the path, pausing briefly in front of a deer-like animal.

Cloud blinked with widening eyes. He had never told her anything, so how did she know?

Could she…? No, she couldn't be!

xX0Xx

"Is this the place, Zack?" Cid asked.

"Yeah," Zack answered peering into the entrance of a small cave. "Whatever it is, it definitely went into that hole."

"Well then I hope we find some good shit in there. My stomach's about to shrivel up from hunger!"

"Hey, you ain't the only one in need o' some meat," Barret noted.

"If it is indeed an animal we need to hunt to survive, let the Cetra give it the honor and respect it deserves," Nanaki said.

"That's right." Zack added. "In the natural world, even predators give respect to the very prey they hunt. I learned that from a coeurl who snuck into the Fortress of Cosmos when I was a kid."

"Ya don't say," Cid muttered as the Cetra crept closer.

Gripping his Buster Sword, he began to whisper toward the hole.

"Tusraiya moei naku yi lia nul ke wie deu bri, jee fo'aan moei-"

"HEL-LOOOOOO!" A small cat-like creature suddenly stuck his head out of the hole, right into Zack's face! Startled, Zack screamed and jumped backwards, knocking over everyone behind him.

Unfortunately, the tunnel they found was located at a steep ledge overlooking a pool of muddy water, and they all went falling. There were screams, followed by a series of splashes.

xX0Xx

Everyone in Cloud's team paused when they heard the loud splashing not far away from them. Two voices spewed out loud complaints. "Hey… Is that…?" Yuffie said.

"It is!" Cloud gasped. "Guys! Hang in there! We're coming!" He sped ahead in the direction of his friends' voices.

"Cloud, wait for us!" Tifa called out, chasing the blond along with the other girls.

xX0Xx

"Aw man, right in the mud!" Zack complained as he and his team wiped the muddy water from their faces. Surprisingly enough, Zack had fallen a good distance away from Barret, Cid, and Nanaki. Which was probably a good thing, considering the force of Barret's muddy spit take.

"You jes' had to drag us in, didn' ya?"

"Oh, so it's _my_ fault we're in this mess?!"

"Hey, I'm just glad there's mud to cushion our fall," Cid said.

Back on the top of the cliff, the cat-like creature leaned over. He looked as though he came out of a cartoon or a children's storybook, complete with red boots, a red cape, and a small golden crown. "Whoops! Sorry about that… Hee, hee, hee! But I can't 'elp it! It's just too funny! Never expected ye to fall down there!"

At that very same moment, Cloud arrived on the other side of the gaping mud pool with the strange girl slightly ahead of him. "Cait Sith!" she called out, waving.

The four in the mud looked up at the new face among their friends. Zack in particular stared in wide-eyed wonder at this beautiful maiden standing near the ledge opposite of where he fell from.

The cat-like creature, Cait Sith, bounced cheerfully at the sound of the girl's voice. "Ah! There ye are, Lassie!" He jumped up and swung on a branch, tossing himself cleanly to the other side of the mud pool. "Give yer favorite plushie a hug!"

"Oh, Cait!" The girl giggled. She happily lifted the creature, apparently a stuffed toy robot of sorts, and gave him a nice big squeeze.

"Reeve and the other Miqo'te sent me ta look for ye!"

"Hee, hee, I figured as much!" the girl said. "With all the flowers in the Bright Shroud, it's easy to lose track of time, and with the festival only a day away…"

"Hey, Spiky!" Barret yelled. "Who's dat girl over dere?"

"Yeah…" Zack said, his lips curling into a smile. "Is she an angel?"

"Oh, well, uh… not quite." Cloud said, getting flustered. "She's our new guide."

"Ah, so that explains why the animals don't want to help us navigate the woods." Cid said. "You've already found the best one for the job!"

"A-anyway…" Cloud cleared his throat. "Guys, I'd like for you to meet… Um…?"

"Aerith," the girl said with a small bow. "Aerith Gainsborough."

"Aerith…" Zack said, trying to stand up. "That's a pretty name… Whoa—WHOA!" The ground under the muddy water was more slippery than he thought. Before he knew it, he fell backwards and plopped back in the mire with a splash. "S-sorry about that! I don't know why it's so slick!"

Once again, Zack tried to get on his feet, only to fall forward. Then he started scrambling on all fours to move closer to his friends—and especially Aerith.

Aerith couldn't help but laugh at the comical sight. Even so, she knew when someone needed her assistance. She laid down toward the ledge, reaching toward him with an open hand. "Here, I'll help you out. It's not really that far to reach."

Zack paused before slipping closer. "Thank you, Aerith," he said as he grabbed hold of an outcropping to keep himself steady. "By the way, I'm Zack. Zack Fair."

He reached out to her. The moment they touched, a blue-green glow enveloped their grip. Both Zack and Aerith gasped as the air filled with voices.

"Whoa!" Cid gasped. "You guys hear that?"

"Yeah," Barret said. "It's faint, but… where the hell is it comin' from?!"

"Could this be… but how?" Nanaki muttered, his ears perking up to listen.

Cloud, Tifa and Yuffie looked around trying to discern the source of the chattering and singing voices.

" _ **Hello Cloud…**_ " one voice called out, though the blond could barely hear it. " _ **You've grown into such a fine young man.**_ "

His mismatched eyes misted with tears. "Mother…!"

Another voice rang out. " _ **Once again, I want to apologize to you for everything I put you through. Please, take good care of my daughter.**_ "

"Father!" Tifa gasped.

The collective voices echoed all around. Of all those present, Zack and Aerith heard them the loudest. And there was more. Gazing at his surroundings, Zack found that all his senses were sharper and more refined than he ever imagined they would be. Colors were more vivid, scents were more potent, and even amidst the sea of voices his ears could pick up the tiniest sounds.

Though fascinated by this change to his senses, he paid more attention to the voices.

" _ **Our ancestors… I… I can hear you more clearly!**_ "

" _ **How strange… this has never happened before.**_ "

Surprised, Zack snapped his head back toward the girl. " _ **Aerith?!**_ "

Aerith soon faced him as well. " _ **Zack? H-how did you…?**_ "

" _ **No way! You're talking to me in my mind… and you're not even dead!**_ "

" _ **Same with you!**_ "

The volume of the voices grew, carrying with them feelings of great joy. Soon a strong figure appeared by Zack's side. " _ **Well, well,**_ " Angeal said with a smile. " _ **It looks like I was wrong about you after all.**_ "

" _ **Angeal? What are you talking about?**_ "

Aerith barely had the time to register what she was witnessing, when, in a similar manner, two gentle spirits materialized by her side.

" _ **Let the Planet rejoice this day!**_ "

" _ **For there is hope for our future!**_ "

" _ **What do you mean?**_ " Aerith asked," _ **Mother? Father? Please tell me!**_ "

Curious about the exchange, Barret, Cid, and Nanaki tried to move closer. One lurched down with a loud squishing noise. Instantly they stopped and looked down at the mud.

"Uh-oh…" Cid muttered.

At the same time, Zack and Aerith suddenly felt their grip loosening. " _ **Zack? Zack!**_ "

" _ **Aerith! I-I'm losing you!**_ " Zack's hand slipped right out of Aerith's. His senses snapped back to normal as the voices returned to quiet whispers in his head.

"HELP!" Barret yelled. "HELP! WE'RE SINKIN'!"

"We could use some assistance right about now!" Nanaki shouted.

Zack looked down to find that he, too, had begun sinking deeper into the mire.

A thought came to him. "Don't move, guys!"

"DON'T MOVE?!" Cid barked. "WHAT KIND OF SHIT-ASS COMMAND IS THAT?!"

"Just trust me!" Zack shouted. Adjusting himself so that he stood steady on his feet (or as steady as the ground would let him), he cupped his hands around his mouth and let out a loud howl like a monkey.

The muddy water bubbled with a low rumble as if in answer to his call. Barret and Cid in particular stared warily at the bubbling mud. The Cetra belted one more howl, and before anyone could even register what was happening, all four of them were launched unceremoniously into the air. They crashed close by the rest of the team—with Zack, as always, landing a bit further away for a reason even he couldn't explain.

Cloud rushed by his friend's side. "Zack! Are you all right?"

In reply, the raven-haired Cetra stood up and laughed. "I can't believe it actually worked!"

A loud croak grabbed everyone's attention, and the moment Barret turned around he practically jumped out of his skin in fright. There, sitting right in the middle of the mud pool, was what appeared to be an enormous frog!

"ACK! WHAT TH' HELL IS THAT?!"

"Oh, it's just a nix," Aerith said cheerfully.

"Aye!" Cait added. "Don't worry, this one's practically harmless!"

"A nix, huh?" Zack said stepping close to the edge where Aerith stood.

"Wow…" Cloud gasped. "I've never seen one before. It's uh… impressive."

Zack called out to the amphibian. "Fo'aan moei wie'ss gelphor! Fo'aan! Tiklo!"

The nix burped out a low "Ribbit" before descending into the mud.

After he finished waving goodbye, he turned around to face his team's new guide.

Aerith stared at him, her mouth open in the shape of a small O. His smile vanished at the sight.

"Aerith?" he finally asked. "Is something wrong?"

"No! No, NO!" She shook her head. A smile pulled at her lips. "Something is _right_!"

"Huh?"

"I just don't know if I'm dreaming or not! I mean…" She let out a string of laughter. " _You?_ "

Zack tilted his head in confusion.

Nanaki finished shaking the mud off his wet fur before he sniffed the air. His good eye widened in surprise, and his nostrils flared again. He let out a sharp gasp.

"Nanaki?" Zack said. "What is it?"

"That girl! B-but that couldn't be possible!"

"Just spill it, Nanaki!"

The red animal's nostrils flared toward Aerith once again. "Her scent…" he finally said. "It is similar to _yours_!"

Zack nearly jumped back, as did the rest of the team. "Similar… to mine?" He turned once more toward the smiling girl. Slowly, she reached out and finally lowered the hood of her cloak.

Now Zack's eyes grew wide with amazement. Aerith was a picture of true beauty, her long auburn hair tied up in a braided ponytail. But it was one detail in particular that took his breath away:

Her ears were pointed like his own!

All at once, his heart welled up with a new kind of happiness.

" _You?_ " he repeated her words. "You mean…"

Aerith laughed. "You're actually…"

"A _Cetra_? Like _me_?" they both finished at the same time, and they burst out in joyous laughter.

Everyone else stared at the pair, equally stunned. Cid's cigarette nearly dropped from its spot in his mouth.

"No WAY!" Tifa gasped.

" _Two_ Cetra?!" Barret said.

Cloud could just gape at the sight in wonder. He had thought Aerith's behavior seemed familiar!

As the laughter between them died down, Zack gently took hold of Aerith's hands. Gazing into her eyes, the loneliness he had known his whole life disappeared completely. "This is amazing! I… I thought I was the only one!"

"I thought _I_ was!" Aerith replied. "I'm so glad we're both wrong!"

"Aye, this calls for a celebration!" Cait declared. "Of course, we can't spread the news far an' wide the way things are right now, but at least the Miqo'te should know about this!"

A loud squeaking noise greeted them from above. Zack looked up to find a certain little mu on the branch of a tree.

"Meezu!" he called out. "Jarru agoha! Qimu!" Meezu's ears perked in interest. "C'mon Meezu! Yi lioa wie namoy runali!" She quickly climbed down toward her friend.

"Friend of yours?" Aerith asked.

"Yeah," Zack said. "She had been visiting me for about two years now. I never knew she lived here!" Soon, Meezu landed on his outstretched arm, and he laughed as she crawled from one arm all the way to the other. "Meezu, namoya Aerith."

Aerith slowly held up her arm, and was initially startled when Meezu jumped onto it. Soon she warmed up to the little mu nuzzling her neck. "Awww, Meezu! Wie ru saa nusefra!" She petted the mu on the head and received a squeak of approval.

"Yeah, she is really cute," Cloud replied. The rest of the team stood by and watched as Meezu performed a little trick by rolling down Aerith's arm onto her hand.

Figuring that it wouldn't hurt, Barret reached out with his good arm to try giving the mu a pet as well. But before his hand even got a chance to touch her, Meezu let out an angry hiss, trying to snap her teeth at him. Barret recoiled.

"MEEZU!" Zack snapped at the mu. "Ni! Niiii!"

The mu lowered her huge ears, backing away a bit as she got the message. "Kyuun ra'siir, Meezu. Kyuun."

With that, Meezu jumped back into Zack's hands, and he petted her before he put her down. "No offense, Barret, but she finds you rather… intimidating."

"Me?!" Barret barked. "But she's the one who tried to bite me!"

"Can you blame her? She was trying to protect Aerith."

"Well, I don't blame her!" Aerith said. "With the Jenova Lords searching the Bright Shroud at any chance they get, it's more than a good enough reason for animals to get defensive."

"Oh right!" Zack said. "I nearly forgot about them! Let's get moving before they get a chance to find us."

"Good call." Cloud agreed.

"Of course, we still have breakfast to deal with." Tifa added. "Aerith, didn't you say there's a grove of fruit trees in the forest?"

Aerith smiled. "Do you still want me to take you there?"

There was a resounding "Yes" from the rest of the team, eager to fill their bellies with just about anything.

"All right, then! Follow me!"

Cait Sith and Meezu lingered behind, staring down at the mud pit. Meezu let out a string of squeaks in that direction.

"Whatcha doing Lass?" Cait said. "Trying to be brave in front of that monster?"

The nix rose its head and gave a mild glance.

"AIEEE! RUN FER YER LIFE!" Cait bolted with a terrified Meezu and hurried to join the rest of the team. "Sheesh, I 'ate it when it does that!"

A low "ribbit" was the nix's only reply.

Note: And so, our story's version of Jen finally meets his Kira! In the next chapter, we get to learn of Zack and Aerith's past in a rather special kind of way. If you've seen the Dark Crystal movie, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. Oh, and to help you understand more of the Cetran phrases, here are the translations to some of the words within:

Ezira- Excuse me

gelphor- help

"Kel wie gelphor az eed ohmi?"- "Can you help us out here?"

Ay Qimoa!- Aw C'mon!

nul'd- don't

lioa- want

"Naku chi wie roola tu liach kiito maa'z?"- "What do you mean we won't get lost?"

Tusraiya- Forgive me (Formal apology)

Tusrai- I'm sorry (informal apology)

bri- day

Tiklo- Goodbye

agoha- again

namoy, namoya- roughly translates as "to meet". Commonly used by speaker to introduce themselves or others.

"Wie ru saa nusefra"- "You are so adorable!"

Ni- No

kyuun- good

ra'siir- girl

There will be more where that comes from, but that's for later in the story! Until next time!


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